Request routing management based on network components

• US 8,938,526 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• 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): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US12/892,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/223, 709/224, 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/238, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1036 Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing request routing functionality associated with resource requests for one or more resources associated with a content provider are provided. A content delivery network (“CDN”) service provider, on behalf of a content provider, can process domain name service (“DNS”) requests for resources by computing devices and resolve the DNS requests by the identification of a network address of a computing device that will provide the requested resources. Based on the processing of DNS queries initiated by a client computing device, the CDN service provider can measure CDN service provider latencies associated with the generation of DNS requests by network components associated with the client computing devices. Examples of the network components can include DNS resolvers associated with the client computing devices.

Claims

1. A method for processing content comprising:

providing, by a service provider, at least one identifier for causing a client computing device to generate a request for content to the service provider, the at least one identifier to be included as an embedded resource provided by a content provider;

obtaining, by the service provider, a first domain name service (DNS) query for content from a DNS resolver component responsive to at least one embedded resource provided by the content provider, the DNS resolver component providing the first DNS query on behalf of the client computing device;

responsive to obtaining the first DNS query, determining, by the service provider, performance measurement information corresponding to obtaining the first DNS query;

generating, by the service provider, an alternative identifier responsive to the request for content from the client computing device;

transmitting, by the service provider, the alternative identifier to the DNS resolver component;

obtaining, by the service provider, a second DNS query for the alternative identifier from the DNS resolver component associated with the client computing device;

responsive to obtaining the second DNS query, determining, by the service provider, performance measurement information corresponding to obtaining the second DNS query responsive to the alternative identifier provided by the service provider;

determining, by the service provider, latency information corresponding to obtaining the first and second DNS queries, the latency information corresponding to a communication latency between the DNS resolver component and an identifiable component of the service provider; and

transmitting, by the service provider, information responsive to the received second DNS query.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one identifier for causing client computing devices to generate a request for content to the service provider corresponds to a uniform resource locator of the service provider.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the alternative identifier corresponds to a canonical name record.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the alternative identifier includes a label representative of at least a portion of a network address associated with a content provider.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the alternative identifier includes a label representative of timing information.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first DNS query is transmitted in accordance with a network routing schema.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the second DNS query is transmitted in accordance with the network routing schema.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained at a same identifiable component of the service provider.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained at separately identifiable components of the service provider.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content provider corresponds to the service provider.

11. A method for processing content comprising:

obtaining, by a service provider, a first domain name service (DNS) query for content from a network component responsive to at least one embedded resource identifier provided by a content provider, the network component transmitting the first DNS query on behalf of a client computing device to a component associated with the service provider;

transmitting, by the service provider, an alternative identifier responsive to the first DNS query from the network component, the alternative identifier to cause the network component to transmit a second DNS query to a component associated with the service provider; and

obtaining, by the service provider, the second DNS query for content from the network component responsive to the alternative identifier provided by the service provider, the network component providing the second DNS query on behalf of the client computing device; and

determining, by the service provider, performance measurement information corresponding to obtaining the first and second DNS queries.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein each of the at least one embedded resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator of the service provider.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the alternative identifier corresponds to a canonical name record.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the alternative identifier references a domain different from a domain associated with the at least one embedded resource identifier.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the alternative identifier includes a label representative of request routing information identifying the component associated with the service provider.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the alternative identifier includes timestamp information.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the alternative identifier further includes a label representative of additional information associated with the client computing device.

18. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the first DNS query is transmitted in accordance with a network routing schema.

19. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the network component corresponds to a DNS resolver component.

20. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained at a same identifiable component of the service provider.

21. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained at separately identifiable components of the service provider.

22. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the content provider corresponds to the service provider.

23. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the performance measurement information corresponds to latency information associated with at least one of the transmittal and processing of the first and second DNS queries.

24. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the performance measurement information corresponds to at least one of a bandwidth associated with at least one of the transmittal and processing of the first and second DNS queries, packet loss information associated with the first and second DNS queries, and throughput information associated with the first and second DNS queries.

25. A computer-implemented system for processing content, the system comprising:

a data store for storing performance monitoring information associated with network components associated with client computing device requests for content; and

a computing system in communication with said data store and associated with a service provider, the computing system including at least one hardware processor operative to;

obtain a first domain name service (DNS) query for content from a network component responsive to at least one embedded resource identifier, the network component providing the first DNS query on behalf of a client computing device;

transmit an alternative identifier responsive to the first DNS query from the network component, the alternative identifier to cause the network component to transmit a second DNS query to the service provider;

obtain the second DNS query for content from the network component responsive to the alternative identifier provided by the service provider, the network component providing the second DNS query on behalf of the client computing device; and

determine performance information corresponding to obtaining the first and second DNS queries.

26. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein each of the at least one embedded resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator of the service provider.

27. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the alternative identifier corresponds to a canonical name record.

28. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the alternative identifier references a domain corresponding to a domain associated with the at least one embedded resource identifier.

29. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the alternative identifier further includes timestamp information.

30. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained at a same identifiable component of the service provider.

31. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained at separately identifiable components of the service provider.

32. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the performance measurement information corresponds to latency information associated with at least one of the transmittal and processing of the first and second DNS queries.