Methods, systems, and computer readable media for throttling traffic to an internet protocol (IP) network server using alias hostname identifiers assigned to the IP network server with a domain name system (DNS)

• US 8,645,565 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Sparks, Robert J., Roach, Adam B., Campen, Byron
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B.
• Application Number:
  US12/512,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/235
• US Class Current: 709/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/266 Stopping or restarting the source, e.g. X-on or X-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for throttling traffic to an IP network server using alias hostname identifiers assigned to the IP network server with a domain name system are disclosed. One method includes maintaining a plurality of weight values and corresponding alias hostname identifiers for the IP network server that are associated with the IP network server in a DNS system. The method further includes throttling network traffic sent to an IP network server by sending, from the IP network server, messages to nodes that send the traffic to the IP network server, where the messages selectively enable or disable traffic flow to the individual alias hostnames.

Claims

1. A method for throttling traffic to an Internet protocol network server using domain name system (DNS) alias hostname identifiers, the method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of weight values and corresponding alias hostname identifiers for an IP network server that are associated with the IP network server in a DNS system, wherein two or more of the alias hostname identifiers associated with the IP network server resolve to the same host IP address and port combination associated with the IP network server and wherein each of the two or more alias hostname identifiers represents a portion of the total processing capacity of the IP network server; and

throttling network traffic sent to the IP network server by sending, from the IP network server, messages to nodes that send the traffic to the IP network server, where the messages selectively enable or disable traffic flow from the nodes to individual alias hostname identifiers of the two or more alias hostname identifiers, and wherein throttling network traffic sent to the IP network server includes increasing or decreasing the traffic sent to the IP network server by the portion of the total processing capacity of the IP network server represented by the two or more alias hostname identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the DNS record includes one of a service resource record (SRV RR) and an address (A) record.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the IP network server includes a session initiation protocol (SIP) server.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising distributing network traffic to the IP network server based on the weight values associated with the two or more alias hostname identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

at the IP network server;

detecting congestion of the IP network server; and

generating an indication of congestion including one of the two or more alias hostname identifiers.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein generating an indication of congestion includes generating a SIP 5xx server error response message including a retry-after header field and which is associated with one of the two or more alias hostname identifiers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein associating a weight value with each of the two or more alias hostnames includes associating a different weight value for each of the two or more alias hostnames, wherein the different weight values include values 2ⁿ, wherein n is an integer.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising selectively enabling and disabling individual alias hostname identifiers.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising dividing the flow of message traffic to the IP network server into N increments, wherein a number of the weight values is less than N.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the IP network server comprises one of:

a SIP server, a presence server, a message server, a voicemail server, a softswitch, and an IMS node.

11. A system for throttling traffic to an Internet protocol (IP) network server using alias hostname identifiers assigned to the IP network server with a domain name system (DNS), the system comprising:

an IP network server, the IP network server including;

an association module embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to maintain a plurality of weight values and corresponding alias hostname identifiers for the IP network server that are associated with the IP network server in a DNS system, wherein two or more of the alias hostname identifiers associated with the IP network server resolve to the same host IP address and port combination associated with the IP network server and wherein each of the two or more alias hostname identifiers represents a portion of the total processing capacity of the IP network server; and

a throttling module embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to throttle network traffic sent to the IP network server by sending, from the IP network server, messages to nodes that send the traffic to the IP network server, where the messages selectively enable or disable traffic flow from the nodes to individual alias hostname identifiers of the two or more alias hostname identifiers, and wherein the throttling module is configured to throttle network traffic sent to the IP network server by increasing or decreasing the traffic sent to the IP network server by the portion of the total processing capacity of the IP network server represented by the two or more alias hostname identifiers.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the DNS record includes one of a service resource record (SRV RR) and an address (A) record.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the IP network server includes a session initiation protocol (SIP) application server.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein throttling network traffic sent to the IP network server includes distributing network traffic to the IP network server based on the weight values associated with the two or more alias hostname identifiers.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the IP network server is configured to detect congestion of the IP network server and, in response, generate an indication of congestion including one of the two or more alias hostname identifiers.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the IP network server is configured to generate a SIP 5xx server error response message including a retry-after header field and which is associated with one of the two or more alias hostname identifiers.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the DNS record associates a different weight value for each of the alias hostname identifiers, wherein the different weight values include values 2ⁿ, wherein n is an integer.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the IP network server is configured to selectively enable and disable individual alias hostname identifiers.

19. The system of claim 11 comprising a communications module configured to receive a DNS query requesting information about the IP network server and, in response, to provide the DNS record containing the information.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the communication module is located at a DNS server.

21. The system of claim 11 wherein the throttling module is located at a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy.

22. The system of claim 11 wherein the DNS record associates W unequal weight values for at least some of the alias hostname identifiers such that the flow of message traffic to the IP network server is divided into N increments, wherein W is less than N.

23. The system of claim 11 wherein the IP network server comprises one of:

a SIP server, a presence server, a message server, a voicemail server, a softswitch, and an IMS node.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer perform steps comprising:

maintaining a plurality of weight values and corresponding alias hostname identifiers for an IP network server that are associated with the IP network server in a DNS system, wherein two or more of the alias hostname identifiers associated with the IP network server resolve to the same host IP address and port combination associated with the IP network server and wherein each of the two or more alias hostname identifiers represents a portion of the total processing capacity of the IP network server; and

throttling network traffic sent to the IP network server by sending, from the IP network server, messages to nodes that send the traffic to the IP network server, where the messages selectively enable or disable traffic flow to the individual alias hostname identifiers of the two or more alias hostname identifiers, and wherein throttling network traffic sent to the IP network server includes increasing or decreasing the traffic sent to the IP network server by the portion of the total processing capacity of the IP network server represented by the two or more alias hostname identifiers.