Dynamic domain name server console for disaster recovery server management

• US 9,060,038 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2011
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yale, Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolentino, Roderick
• Application Number:
  US13/108,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for updating a domain name server are provided. A console may receive a first request to access the console. The console may verify first permission to access the console. The console may receive a second request to access the domain name server. The console may verify second permission to access the domain name server. The console may receive an instruction to modify an entry in the domain name server. The instruction may specify that a previous Internet Protocol address in the entry is replaced with a new Internet Protocol address. The console may transmit the instruction from the console to the domain name server. The domain name server may be configured to replace the previous Internet Protocol address with a new Internet Protocol address in the entry in response to the instruction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a console comprising a processor, a request from a requester to access the console, the console coupled to a domain name server;

in response to receiving the request to access the console, verifying, by the console, that the requester has a first permission to access the console;

in response to verifying that the requester has the first permission to access the console, receiving, at the console from the requester, a command to modify an entry in the domain name server, the entry mapping a domain name to a first internet protocol address associated with a first remote server, the command comprising a first instruction to delete the first internet protocol address associated with the first remote server from the entry and a second instruction to add a second internet protocol address associated with a second remote server to the entry, the second remote server storing information that mirrors information stored by the first remote server;

receiving, by the console from the domain name server, verification that the requester has a second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server;

in response to receiving verification that the requester has the second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server, transmitting, by the console, the command from the console to the domain name server, the domain name server configured to delete the first internet protocol address associated with the first remote server from the entry and add the second internet protocol address associated with the second remote server to the entry such that the entry maps the domain name to the second internet protocol address associated with the second remote server to direct a request for access to the information via the domain name to the second remote server;

monitoring a health-related parameter of the first remote server, wherein the health-related parameter comprises a parameter selected from a group of parameters comprising a response time, a processor usage, a memory usage, a network usage, and another parameter;

determining that the health-related parameter indicates a disaster causing the first remote server to fail; and

transmitting the command to modify the entry in the domain name server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the first permission to access the console comprises:

receiving a username and a password associated with the requester; and

upon receiving the username and the password, verifying that the requester has the first permission to access the console based on the username and the password.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the console from the domain name server, verification that the requester has the second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server comprises:

generating, at the console, a signature based on a private key stored at the console;

transmitting the signature from the console to the domain name server, the domain name server configured to verify the signature based on a public key; and

after the signature is verified, receiving, at the console from the domain name server, an acknowledgement message indicating that the requester has the second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the requester is received in response to a failure associated with the first remote server, and wherein the second remote server is inaccessible for accessing the information until the failure associated with the first remote server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the console comprises a server computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the command comprises an nsupdate command.

7. A console comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving a request from a requester to access the console,

in response to receiving the request to access the console, verifying that the requester has a first permission to access the console,

in response to verifying that the requester has the first permission to access the console, receiving, from the requester, a command to modify an entry in a domain name server coupled to the console, the entry mapping a domain name to a first internet protocol address associated with a first remote server, the command comprising a first instruction to delete the first internet protocol address associated with the first remote server from the entry and a second instruction to add a second internet protocol address associated with a second remote server to the entry, the second remote server storing information that mirrors information stored by the first remote server,

receiving, from the domain name server, verification that the requester has a second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server,

in response to receiving verification that the requester has the second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server, transmitting the command to the domain name server, the domain name server configured to delete the first internet protocol address associated with the first remote server from the entry and add the second internet protocol address associated with the second remote server to the entry such that the entry maps the domain name to the second internet protocol address associated with the second remote server to direct a request for access to the information via the domain name to the second remote server,

monitoring a health-related parameter of the first remote server, wherein the health-related parameter comprises a parameter selected from a group of parameters comprising a response time, a processor usage, a memory usage, a network usage, and another parameter,

determining that the health-related parameter indicates a disaster causing the first remote server to fail, and

transmitting the command to modify the entry in the domain name server.

8. The console of claim 7, wherein verifying the first permission to access the console comprises:

receiving a username and a password associated with the requester; and

upon receiving the username and the password, verifying that the requester has the first permission to access the console based on the username and the password.

9. The console of claim 7, wherein receiving, from the domain name server, verification that the requester has the second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server comprises:

generating a signature based on a private key stored at the console;

transmitting the signature to the domain name server, the domain name server configured to verify the signature based on a public key; and

after transmitting the signature to the domain name server, receiving, from the domain name server, an acknowledgement message indicating that the requester has the second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server.

10. The console of claim 7, wherein the request from the requester is received in response to a failure associated with the first remote server, and wherein the second remote server is inaccessible for accessing the information until the failure associated with the first remote server.

11. The console of claim 7, wherein the command comprises an nsupdate command.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a console, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a requester to access the console, the console coupled to a domain name server;

in response to receiving the request to access the console, verifying that the requester has a first permission to access the console;

in response to verifying that the requester has the first permission to access the console, receiving, from the requester, a command to modify an entry in the domain name server, the entry mapping a domain name to a first internet protocol address associated with a first remote server, the command comprising a first instruction to delete the first internet protocol address associated with the first remote server from the entry and a second instruction to add a second internet protocol address associated with a second remote server to the entry, the second remote server storing information that mirrors information stored by the first remote server;

receiving, from the domain name server, verification that the requester has a second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server;

in response to receiving verification that the requester has the second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server, transmitting the command to the domain name server, the domain name server configured to delete the first internet protocol address associated with the first remote server from the entry and add the second internet protocol address associated with the second remote server to the entry such that the entry maps the domain name to the second internet protocol address associated with the second remote server to direct a request for access to the information via the domain name to the second remote server;

monitoring a health-related parameter of the first remote server, wherein the health-related parameter comprises a parameter selected from a group of parameters comprising a response time, a processor usage, a memory usage, a network usage, and another parameter;

determining that the health-related parameter indicates a disaster causing the first remote server to fail; and

transmitting the command to modify the entry in the domain name server.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein verifying the first permission to access the console comprises:

receiving a username and a password associated with the requester; and

upon receiving the username and the password, verifying that the requester has the first permission to access the console based on the username and the password.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein receiving, from the domain name server, verification that the requester has the second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server comprises:

generating a signature based on a private key stored at the console;

transmitting the signature to the domain name server, the domain name server configured to verify the signature based on a public key; and

after the signature is verified, receiving, from the domain name server, an acknowledgement message indicating that the requester has the second permission to modify the entry in the domain name server.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the request from the requester is received in response to a failure associated with the first remote server, and wherein the second remote server is inaccessible for accessing the information until the failure associated with the first remote server.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the console comprises a server computer.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the command comprises an nsupdate command.