Use of DNS information as trigger for dynamic IPV4 address allocation

• US 10,003,565 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: George, IV, Wesley E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, James A
• Application Number:
  US13/427,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20130254423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]

Abstract

A first request, to access a web site associated with a domain name, is obtained at a gateway router interposed between a local area network and an internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, from a host on the local area network. The gateway router has Domain Name Service (DNS) resolver capability. The first request is received while the gateway router has upstream connectivity to the internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure via IPv6 but not via IPv4. Further steps include sending, from the gateway router, the first request; obtaining, at the gateway router, an indication that an IPv4 address will imminently be required for the gateway router; and, responsive to obtaining the indication, sending, from the gateway router, into the internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, a second request, for an IPv4 address for the gateway router.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

obtaining, at a gateway router interposed between a local area network and an internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, from a host on said local area network, a first request specifying a domain name associated with a first web site, said gateway router having Domain Name Service (DNS) resolver capability, wherein said gateway router has an active connection to a first address space and no connection to a second address space;

sending said first request from said gateway router using said first address space;

responsive to sending said first request using said first address space, obtaining, at said gateway router, an indication, including a first internet protocol address, that said domain name resolves only to said second address space different than said first address space; and

responsive to obtaining said indication, sending, from said gateway router, into said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, a second request, said second request being for a second internet protocol address for said gateway router in said second address space in transitioning to an active connection to said second address space, wherein said second request is sent before a third request is received, said third request being to connect to said first internet protocol address in said second address space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication is an Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) formatted response.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining, at said gateway router, said second internet protocol address in said second address space, wherein said second address space is an IPv4 address space, for said gateway router establishing said active connection between said gateway router and said second address space;

obtaining, at said gateway router, from said host on said local network, said third request;

processing said third request, by said gateway router, using said second internet protocol address for said gateway router obtained in said step of obtaining said second internet protocol address for said gateway router; and

releasing, by said gateway router, said second internet protocol address upon determining said second internet protocol address is idle.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, in said step of obtaining said first request, said first request comprises a fully qualified domain name (FQDN).

5. The method of claim 3, wherein, in said step of obtaining said indication that said domain name resolves to said second address space, said indication comprises an A-record.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein, in said step of obtaining said indication that said domain name resolves to said second address space, said indication comprises an indication that said domain name resolves solely to said second address space.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said indication that said domain name resolves solely to said second address space comprises an A-record obtained without a quad-A record.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said first request is sent to a domain name server of said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining, at said gateway router, from another host on said local area network, a fourth request, said fourth request a second domain name associated with a second web site;

sending said fourth request to said domain name server of said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure from said gateway router;

obtaining, at said gateway router, an indication that said second domain name resolves to both said first address space and said second address space; and

responsive to said indication that said second domain name resolves to both said first and second address spaces, accessing said second web site using said first address space.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, in said step of obtaining said first request, said first request is made in Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein in said step of obtaining said first request, said first request is made in Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4), further comprising translating said first request into Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) at said gateway router, wherein, in said step of sending said first request, said first request is sent in Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a system, wherein said system comprises distinct software modules, each of said distinct software modules being embodied on at least one tangible computer readable recordable storage medium, and wherein said distinct software modules comprise a DNS client/server module and a DHCP client/server module;

wherein;

said obtaining of said first request is carried out by said DNS client/server module executing on at least one hardware processor of said gateway router;

said sending of said first request is carried out by said DNS client/server module executing on said at least a one hardware processor of said gateway router;

said obtaining of said indication is carried out by said DNS client/server module executing on said at least a one hardware processor of said gateway router; and

said sending of said second request is carried out by said DHCP client/server module executing on said at least a one hardware processor of said gateway router.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said first request is sent to a domain name server of said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said indication is obtained from said domain name server of said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said first request is sent to a root server associated with said domain name.

16. A gateway router for interposition between a local area network and an internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, said gateway router comprising:

a memory storing in a non-transitory manner a plurality of distinct software modules, said distinct software modules comprising a DNS client/server module and a DHCP client/server module; and

at least one processor, coupled to said memory;

wherein;

said DNS client/server module comprises instructions configured to cause said at least one processor to;

obtain, from a host on said local area network, a first request specifying a domain name associated with a first web site, said gateway router having Domain Name Service (DNS) resolver capability, wherein said gateway router has an active connection to a first address space and no connection to a second address space;

send, to a domain name server of said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, said first request using said first address space; and

obtain, from said domain name server of said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, an indication, including a first internet protocol address, that said domain name resolves only to said second address space different than said first address space; and

said DHCP client/server module comprises instructions configured to cause said at least one processor to, responsive to obtaining said indication, send, into said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, a second request, said second request being for a second internet protocol address for said gateway router in said second address space in transitioning to an active connection to said second address space, wherein said second request is sent before a third request is received, said third request being to connect to said first internet protocol address in said second address space.

17. The gateway router of claim 16, wherein said indication is an Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) formatted response.

18. The gateway router of claim 17, wherein said at least one processor is further operative to:

obtain said second internet protocol address for said gateway router establishing said active connection between the gateway router and said second address space;

obtain, from said host on said local network, said third request;

process said third request, by said gateway router, using said second internet protocol address for said gateway router; and

releasing, by said gateway router, said second internet protocol address upon determining said second internet protocol address is idle.

19. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program product, said computer program product comprising:

a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, storing in a non-transitory manner computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to obtain, from a host on said local area network, a first request specifying a domain name associated with a first web site, said gateway router having Domain Name Service (DNS) resolver capability, wherein said gateway router has an active connection to a first address space and no connection to a second address space;

computer readable program code configured to send said first request using said first address space;

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to sending said first request using said first address space, obtain an indication, including a first internet protocol address, that said domain name resolves only to said second address space different than said first address space; and

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to obtaining said indication, send, into said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, a second request, said second request being for a second internet protocol address for said gateway router in said second address space in transitioning to an active connection to said second address space, wherein said second request is sent before a third request is received, said third request being to connect to said first internet protocol address in said second address space.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein said indication is an Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) formatted response.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to obtain said second internet protocol address in said second address space, wherein said second address space is an IPv4 address space for said gateway router establishing said active connection between said gateway router and said second address space;

computer readable program code configured to obtain, from said host on said local network, said third request;

computer readable program code configured to process said third request, by said gateway router, using said second internet protocol address for said gateway router; and

releasing, by said gateway router, said second internet protocol address upon determining said second internet protocol address is idle.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining, at a gateway router interposed between a local area network and an internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, from a host on said local area network, a first request specifying a domain name associated with a first web site, said gateway router having Domain Name Service (DNS) resolver capability, wherein said gateway router has an active connection to a first address space and no connection to a second address space;

means for sending said first request from said gateway router using said first address space;

means for, responsive to sending said first request using said first address space, obtaining, at said gateway router, an indication, including a first internet protocol address, that said domain name resolves only to said second address space different than said first address space; and

means, responsive to obtaining said indication, for sending, from said gateway router, into said internet service provider'"'"'s infrastructure, a second request, said second request being for a second internet protocol address for said gateway router in said second address space in transitioning to an active connection to said second address space, wherein said second request is sent before a third request is received, said third request being to connect to said first internet protocol address in said second address space.