Point of presence management in request routing

• US 8,676,918 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richardson, David R., Cormie, John, MacCarthaigh, Colm, Redman, Benjamin W. S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hua
• Application Number:
  US13/620,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20130346534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 549 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A system and method for the management of client computing device DNS queries and subsequent resource requests within a content delivery network service provider domain are provided. The management of the DNS queries can include the selection of computing devices corresponding to various Point of Presence locations for processing DNS queries. Additionally, the management of the content requests can include the selection of computing devices corresponding to resource cache components corresponding to various Point of Presence locations for providing requested content. The selection of the computing devices can incorporate logic related to geographic criteria, performance threshold criteria, testing criteria, and the like.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for request routing comprising:

obtaining a DNS query from a client computing device at a first DNS server, wherein the DNS query corresponds to a requested resource associated with an original resource identifier provided by a content provider and wherein the first DNS server corresponds to a content delivery network service provider that is different from the content provider;

selecting a second DNS server from one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers and performance measurement information associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers;

obtaining an alternative resource identifier corresponding to the selected second DNS server, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a DNS query to resolve to a domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider;

transmitting the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device;

obtaining a subsequent DNS query from the client computing device at a second DNS server, wherein the subsequent DNS query corresponds to the alternative resource identifier provided by the content delivery network service provider and wherein the second DNS server corresponds to the content delivery network service provider that is different from the content provider;

determining whether the second DNS server is authoritative to the subsequent DNS query;

selecting a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request if the second DNS server is authoritative to the subsequent DNS query; and

transmitting information identifying the selected cache component if the second DNS server is determined to be authoritative.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the original resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator provided by the content provider such that the DNS query resolves to a domain corresponding to the content delivery network service provider.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the original resource identifier and the alternative resource identifier include information identifying a same domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the original resource identifier includes information identifying a first domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a second domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the second DNS server from the identified one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers includes selecting the second DNS server based at least in part on a calculated distance from each of the one or more alternate DNS servers and a reference node in a communication network.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the second DNS server from the identified one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers includes selecting the second DNS server based at least in part on a calculated distance from each of the one or more alternate DNS servers and the client computing device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting the second DNS server from the identified one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers includes determining a calculated maximum distance as a product of a latency time associated with a selected DNS server and a speed of transmission.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein selecting a second DNS server from the identified one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on performance measurement information associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers includes:

determining performance measurement information for the one or more DNS servers;

determining whether the performance measurement information exceeds a minimum performance threshold; and

excluding DNS servers in which performance measurement information does not exceed the performance threshold.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the performance measurement information corresponds to a measured latency.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the performance measurement information corresponds to assigned categories associated with performance measurement.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

prior to transmitting the alternative resource identifier, determining whether the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier;

selecting a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request if the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier; and

transmitting information identifying the selected cache component if the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier.

12. A computer-implemented method for request routing comprising:

obtaining a DNS query from a client computing device at a first DNS server, wherein the DNS query corresponds to a requested resource associated with an original resource identifier provided by a content provider and wherein the first DNS server corresponds to a content delivery network service provider that is different from the content provider;

obtaining an alternative resource identifier based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of one or more alternative network components and performance measurement information associated with each of the one or more alternative network components;

determining whether the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier;

selecting a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request if the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier; and

transmitting information identifying the selected cache component if the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

transmitting the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device if the first DNS server would not be authoritative for the DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier;

obtaining a subsequent DNS query from the client computing device at a second DNS server, wherein the subsequent DNS query corresponds to the alternative resource identifier provided by the content delivery network service provider and wherein the second DNS server corresponds to the content delivery network service provider that is different from the content provider;

determining whether the second DNS server is authoritative to the subsequent DNS query; and

selecting a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request if the second DNS server is authoritative to the subsequent DNS query; and

transmitting information identifying the selected cache component if the second DNS server is determined to be authoritative.

14. A system for request routing comprising:

a first network point of presence associated with a content delivery network service provider, wherein the first network point of presence includes a DNS server that is operative to;

obtain a DNS query from a client computing device, wherein the DNS query corresponds to a requested resource associated with an original resource identifier provided by a content provider and wherein the content delivery network service provider is different from the content provider;

select a second DNS server from one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers and performance measurement information associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers;

obtain an alternative resource identifier corresponding to the selected second DNS server, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a DNS query to resolve to a domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider; and

transmit the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device;

a second network point of presence associated with the content delivery network service provider, wherein the second network point of presence includes the second DNS server and wherein the second DNS server is operative to;

obtain a subsequent DNS query from the client computing device, wherein the subsequent DNS query corresponds to the alternative resource identifier provided by the content delivery network service provider;

determine whether the second DNS server is authoritative to the subsequent DNS query;

select a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request if the second DNS server is authoritative to the subsequent DNS query; and

transmit information identifying the selected cache component if the second DNS server is determined to be authoritative.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the original resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator provided by the content provider such that the DNS query resolves to a domain corresponding to the content delivery network service provider.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the original resource identifier and the alternative resource identifier include information identifying a same domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the original resource identifier includes information identifying a first domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a second domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider.

18. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein selecting the second DNS server from the identified one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers includes selecting the second DNS server based at least in part on a calculated distance from each of the one or more alternate DNS servers and a reference node in a communication network.

19. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein selecting the second DNS server from the identified one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers includes selecting the second DNS server based at least in part on a calculated distance from each of the one or more alternate DNS servers and the client computing device.

20. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein selecting the second DNS server from the identified one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers includes determining a calculated maximum distance as a product of a latency time associated with a selected DNS server and a speed of transmission.

21. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein selecting a second DNS server from the identified one or more alternative DNS servers based at least in part on performance measurement information associated with each of the one or more alternative DNS servers includes:

determining performance measurement information for the one or more DNS servers;

determining whether the performance measurement information exceeds a minimum performance threshold; and

excluding DNS servers in which performance measurement information does not exceed the performance threshold.

22. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the DNS server in the first network point of presence is further operative to:

prior to transmitting the alternative resource identifier, determine whether the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier;

select a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request if the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier; and

transmit information identifying the selected cache component if the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier.

23. A system for request routing comprising:

a first network point of presence associated with a content delivery network service provider, wherein the first network point of presence includes a first DNS server that is operative to;

obtain a DNS query from a client computing device, wherein the DNS query corresponds to a requested resource associated with an original resource identifier provided by a content provider and wherein the content delivery network service provider is different from the content provider;

obtain an alternative resource identifier based at least in part on at least a calculated distance associated with each of one or more alternative network components and performance measurement information associated with each of the one or more alternative network components;

determine whether the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier;

select a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request if the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier; and

transmit information identifying the selected cache component if the first DNS server would be authoritative for a DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the first DNS server is further operative to transmit the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device if the first DNS server would not be authoritative for the DNS query corresponding to the alternative resource identifier.

25. The system as recited in claim 24 further comprising:

a second network point of presence associated with the content delivery network service provider, wherein the second network point of presence includes a second DNS server that is operative to;

obtain a subsequent DNS query from the client computing device, wherein the subsequent DNS query corresponds to the alternative resource identifier provided by the content delivery network service provider;

determine whether the second DNS server is authoritative to the subsequent DNS query; and

select a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request if the second DNS server is authoritative to the subsequent DNS query; and

transmit information identifying the selected cache component if the second DNS server is determined to be authoritative.