Systems, methods, and computer readable media for managing a hosts file

• US 9,092,304 B1
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Landivar, Luis Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US13/269,043
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 715/734, 715/738, 715763-765, 715/740, 715851-854
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A hosts file manager is provided that displays a user interface with a list of selectable server groups. The list may comprise, for example, identifications server groups. Each server group corresponds to an IP address, and the hosts file manager has access to such IP address data. A user selection of a first server group may be made and received via said user interface. A computer'"'"'s hosts file may then be modified to correlate a hostname with an IP address of the selected server group.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium bearing instructions stored thereon executed by a processor to:

display a user interface comprising a list of selectable server groups broken into categories based on a respective recognizable identifier associated with each server group, the list comprising a first recognizable identifier of a first server group that corresponds to a first Internet Protocol (IP) address, and a second recognizable identifier of a second server group that corresponds to a second IP address;

receive, via the user interface, a selection of the first server group;

retrieve the first IP address from hosts file manager data, and insert the first IP address in a hosts file such that a modified hosts file is created that correlates a hostname with the first IP address; and

store the modified hosts file.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, including instructions executed by the processor to:

add, to the list of selectable server groups, a third recognizable identifier of a third server group that corresponds to a third IP address; and

update the hosts file manager data with the third recognizable identifier of the third server group and the third IP address.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, including instructions executable by the processor to retrieve the list of selectable server groups from hosts file manager data available at a network location.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein both the first server group and the second server group supply services for the hostname.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a user input selectable to activate the modified hosts file.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a user input selectable to restore the modified hosts file to a state preceding the modification.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface further comprises a user input selectable to copy contents of the modified hosts file to a clipboard.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the user interface selectable to copy contents of the modified hosts file to a clipboard is also selectable to activate a display of the contents.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory;

a processor configured to execute instructions stored on the memory;

a subsystem configured to maintain hosts file manager data comprising at least one Internet Protocol (IP) address for at least one server group;

a subsystem configured to deploy a hosts file manager to at least one computer having network access to the at least one server group, wherein the hosts file manager data is maintained as part of the hosts file manager;

a subsystem configured to modify the hosts file manager data and redeploy the hosts file manager;

a subsystem configured to receive, by the hosts file manager, a selection of a first server group from the at least one server group, wherein the selection is made from a list, including the at least one server group, broken into at least one category based on a respective recognizable identifier associated with each of the at least one server group;

a subsystem configured to modify, via the hosts file manager, a hosts file for the at least one computer by correlating, in the hosts file, an IP address for the first server group with the common hostname; and

a subsystem configured to store the modified hosts file on a computer readable medium.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the hosts file manager data is maintained at a network location and wherein the system includes a subsystem configured to retrieve, by the hosts file manager, the hosts file manager data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the system includes a subsystem configured to display, via the hosts file manager, a user interface comprising a list of selectable server groups including at least one server group.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the system includes a subsystem configured to receive, via the hosts file manager, a user command to modify the hosts file.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the system includes a subsystem configured to restore, via the hosts file manager, the modified hosts file to a state preceding the modification of the hosts file.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the system includes a subsystem configured to restore, via the hosts file manager, the modified hosts file to a default state.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the method includes providing a user input selectable to restore the hosts file to a state preceding the modifying.

15. A method, comprising:

providing a list of selectable server groups broken into at least one category based on a recognizable identifier associated with each server group, each server group serving a common hostname, and each server group corresponding to a respective Internet Protocol (IP) address;

providing, via a computing device, a user input selectable to activate an automatic modification of a hosts file by inserting an entry correlating the common hostname with an IP address associated with a selected server group; and

maintaining hosts file manager data including an identification of selectable server groups in the list and the respective IP address corresponding to each of the selectable server groups.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the method includes performing the automatic modification of the hosts file.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the method includes providing a user input selectable to restore the hosts file to a default state.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the method includes retrieving the IP address associated with the selected server group from the hosts file manager data.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the method includes providing a user input selectable to copy contents of the hosts file to a clipboard.