Computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for processing named entity queries using a cached functionality in a domain name system

• US 9,900,281 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Kaliski, Jr., Burton S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuong
• Application Number:
  US14/252,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20150295882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 709217, 709203, 709223, 709245, 370338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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

The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for responding to a query request from a requestor using information supplied by an authoritative name server. The computer-implemented method can include obtaining, by a DNS resolution server, a query for a named resource from a requestor, wherein the query comprises information comprising contextual information related to the requestor. The method can obtain at least a portion of a zone file of a domain name space using the domain name system (DNS), one or more rules, and information on how to access information that is not local to the DNS resolution server from the authoritative name server based on the query obtained from the requestor. An answer can then be provided to the query from requester based on the at least a portion of the zone file, the one or more rules, and the contextual information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for responding to a domain name system (“

DNS”

) query request from a requestor using information supplied by an authoritative name server, the computer-implemented method comprising;

obtaining, by a DNS resolution server over a network, a DNS query for a named resource from a requestor, wherein the DNS query comprises information comprising a requestor-based contextual information related to the requestor, wherein the requestor-based contextual information comprises geo-location data of the requestor;

providing, by the DNS resolution server, authentication information to the authoritative name server to authenticate the DNS resolution server;

obtaining at least a portion of a zone file of a domain name space using the DNS query and information on how to access information about the named resource that is not local to the DNS resolution server from the authoritative name server based on the DNS query obtained from the requestor for the DNS resolution server that is authenticated by the authoritative name server, wherein the information about the named resource that is not local comprises a plurality of attributes associated with the named resource, the plurality of attributes comprising an availability indicator that indicates an availability of a server instance on which the named recourse is hosted and a security indicator that indicates a security level related to a potential requestor that may request access to the named resource;

applying one or more rules to the portion of the zone file, the requestor-based contextual information, a named resource-based contextual information, and the information about the named resource that is not local to the DNS resolution server;

determining, by a hardware processor of the DNS resolution server, an answer to the DNS query based on the one or more rules that are applied; and

providing, to the requestor, the answer to the DNS query, wherein the answer is a DNS record associated with the named resource.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising caching the one or more rules, and the information on how to access information that is not local to the DNS resolution server from the authoritative name server based on the DNS query obtained from the requestor.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least the portion of the zone file is not current; and

providing a request to the authoritative name server for an update to the at least the portion of the zone file; and

providing the answer using the at least the portion of the zone file that was updated.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the requestor is one or more of:

a client computer, a user associated with the client computer, and an agent acting on behalf of the client computer or the user.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the requestor-based contextual information is related to one or more of:

the requestor and an identifier included in the DNS query.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising storing one or more of:

the at least a portion of the zone file, the one or more rules, and the information on how to access information about the named resource that is not local to the DNS resolution server in a memory.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, further comprising:

obtaining another DNS query for another named resource from another requestor, wherein the another query comprises contextual information related to the another requestor;

applying one or more of;

the at least the portion of the zone file, the one or more rules, and the information on how to access information about the another named resource that is not local to the DNS resolution server that were stored in the memory; and

providing an answer to the another requestor based on the one or more of;

the at least a portion of the zone file, the one or more rules, and the information on how to access information about the another named resource that is not local to the DNS resolution server, and the contextual information related to the another requestor that were applied.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

requesting the at least the portion of a zone, the one or more rules, and the information about the another named resource from the authoritative name server based on the DNS query obtained from the requestor; and

receiving a challenge from the authoritative name server to authenticate the DNS resolution server based on the at least the portion of the zone, the one or more rules, and the information that was requested; and

providing a response to the challenge to the authoritative name server.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the answer comprises an internet protocol address identifying the named resource requested in the DNS query.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

applying the one or more rules to locate a record in the at least a portion of the zone file based on information in the DNS query; and

determining the answer based on the one or more rules that were applied.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein the response comprises information based on a hardware profile and a software profile stored in a tamper-resistant module on the DNS resolution server.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the contextual information comprises one or more of:

device-specific information;

geo-location-specific information;

authentication-specific information.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the one more rules comprise one or more of:

provide a network identifier for a server hosting the named resource that was requested that is nearest to a geo-location of the requestor;

provide a network identifier for a server hosting the named resource that meets one or more device type characteristics of the requestor, provide a network identifier for a server hosting the named resource based on an authentication level of the requestor.

14. A computer-implemented method for responding to a domain name system (“

DNS”

) query request from a requestor using information supplied by an authoritative name server, the computer-implemented method comprising;

obtaining, by a DNS resolution server over a network, a DNS query for a named resource from a requestor, wherein the DNS query comprises requestor-based contextual information related to the requestor, wherein the requestor-based contextual information comprises geo-location data of the requestor;

providing, by the DNS resolution server, authentication information to the authoritative name server to authenticate the DNS resolution server;

obtaining one or more records from at least a portion of a zone file of a domain name space using the DNS query and information on how to access information about the named resource that is not local to the DNS resolution server from the authoritative name server based on the DNS query obtained from the requestor for the DNS resolution server that is authenticated by the authoritative name server, wherein the information about the named resource that is not local comprises a plurality of attributes associated with the named resource, the plurality of attributes comprising an availability indicator that indicates an availability of a server instance on which the named recourse is hosted and a security indicator that indicates a security level related to a potential requestor that may request access to the named resource;

applying one or more rules to the one or more records, the requestor-based contextual information, a named resource-based contextual information, and the information about the named resource that is not local to the DNS resolution server;

determining, by a hardware processor of the DNS resolution server, an answer to the DNS query based on the one or more rules that are applied; and

providing, to the requestor, the answer to the DNS query, wherein the answer is a DNS record associated with the named resource.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining that the one or more records from at least the portion of the zone file is not current; and

providing a request to the authoritative name server for an update to the one or more records; and

providing the answer using the at least the one or more records that was updated.

16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, wherein the requestor is one or more of:

a client computer, a user associated with the client computer, and an agent acting on behalf of the client computer or the user.

17. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the requestor-based contextual information is related to one or more of:

the requestor and an identifier included in the DNS query.

18. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, further comprising storing one or more of:

the one or more records, the one or more rules, and the information on how to access information that is not local to the DNS resolution server in a memory.

19. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, wherein the answer comprises an internet protocol address used to locate the named resource requested in the query.

20. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining another DNS query for another named resource from another requestor, wherein the another query comprises contextual information related to the another requestor;

applying one or more of;

the one or more records, the one or more rules, and the information on how to access information that is not local to the DNS resolution server that were stored in the memory; and

providing an answer to the another requestor based on the one or more of;

the one or more records, the one or more rules, and the information on how to access information that is not local to the DNS resolution server, and the contextual information related to the another requestor that were applied.

21. The computer-implemented method according to claim 14, further comprising:

requesting the one or more records, the one or more rules, and the information from the authoritative name server based on the DNS query obtained from the requestor; and

receiving a challenge from the authoritative name server to authenticate the DNS resolution server based on the at least the portion of the zone, the one or more rules, and the information that was requested; and

providing a response to the challenge to the authoritative name server.

22. The computer-implemented method according to claim 21, wherein the response comprises information based on a hardware profile and a software profile stored in a tamper-resistant module on the DNS resolution server.