Internet hosting and access system and method

• US 6,611,861 B1
• Filed: 02/26/1999
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: XO Communications Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: XO Communications Incorporated (Icahn Associates Holding LLC)
• Inventors: Clish, Jourdan, Schairer, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/259,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/222, 709/224, 709/239, 709/206, 709/218, 709/225, 709/228, 713/201, 713/205
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1038 Load balancing arrangements to avoid a single path through a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method of providing Internet hosting and access is described. A database is used to store hosting and access descriptors. The hosting and access descriptors describe the configuration of Internet services such as HTTP, SMTP, POP3, IMAP4, and FTP for a hosted site. When a client over the Internet, or other network, requests a service from the hosted domain, the DNS system is interfaced to the database to select a computer to use to support the requested access. The database can also be used to store load information about the computers available for providing Internet hosting and access. Once the DNS system selects a computer and returns the IP address of the computer to the client, the subsequent communications are between the client and the selected computer directly. The selected computer can access the database to retrieve configuration information to respond to service requests from clients. In this fashion, a single hosted site can be distributed across multiple computers, or multiple hosted sites can share a single computer. Because all of the necessary configuration information is stored in a common database, additional computers can switch between servicing requests for different domains easily and can also be added and removed easily.

Claims

1. A system for providing Internet hosting and access comprising:

a plurality of computers, each of the plurality of computers adapted for providing respective Internet hosting and access functions according to a plurality of hosting and access descriptors; and

a database in communication with the plurality of computers, the database comprising the plurality of hosting and access descriptors, each of the plurality of hosting and access descriptors corresponding to a hosted site, each of the plurality of hosting and access descriptors describing the configuration of Internet hosting and access services for the corresponding hosted site,

the database further comprising availability and configuration data, suitability data, and load information corresponding to each of the plurality of computers,

Internet hosting and access functions dynamically allocated over the plurality of computers based on the plurality of load information, the availability and configuration data, and the suitability data, so that a number of the plurality of computers is allocated to provide Internet hosting and access functions based on the plurality of load information and an appropriate virtualization of a request into a context of a hosted site.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a domain name server in communication with the plurality of computers and the database, the domain name server adapted to respond to a request for Internet access from a client by selecting a computer in the plurality of computers using the plurality of load information in the database.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the selecting further comprises identifying a computer with a low load using the plurality of load information in the database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a computer in the plurality of computers receives a request for Internet access from a client, the request including an Internet protocol address, and the computer identifies a hosted site using the Internet protocol address.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the request includes a domain name, and the computer identifies a hosted site using the domain name.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the computer uses the database to retrieve a corresponding hosting and access descriptor for the hosted site.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer configures a service using the corresponding hosting and access descriptor for the hosted site and responds to the request responsive to configuring the service.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of computers includes at least one computer adapted for providing a hypertext transfer protocol server.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of computers includes at least one computer adapted for providing a file transport protocol server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of computers includes at least one computer adapted for providing a simple mail transport protocol server.

11. A method of providing Internet hosting and access using a plurality of computers, the method comprising:

receiving a lookup request for a domain name at a domain name server;

accessing a database using the domain name server to select a computer in the plurality of computers, wherein the database comprises availability and configuration data, suitability data, and load information corresponding to each of the plurality of computers,

and wherein Internet hosting and access functions are dynamically allocated over the plurality of computers based on the plurality of load information, the availability and configuration data, and the suitability data, so that a number of the plurality of computers is allocated to provide Internet hosting and access functions based on the plurality of load information and an appropriate virtualization of a request into a context of a hosted site;

responding to the lookup request with an Internet protocol address corresponding to the computer;

receiving a request for Internet access at the computer;

selecting a hosting and access descriptor using the database;

using the hosting and access descriptor to configure the computer; and

responding to the request using the computer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the accessing further comprises identifying a computer with a low load using the plurality of load information in the database.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the database includes a plurality of quotas, each of the plurality of quotas corresponding to limits for respective hosted sites in a plurality of hosted sites, and the accessing further comprises rejecting the lookup request if the hosted site corresponding to the lookup request has exceeded the respective quota in the plurality of quotas.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the request for Internet access includes an Internet protocol address, and the selecting further comprises using the Internet protocol address to select the hosting and access descriptor in the database.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the request for Internet access includes a domain name, and the selecting further comprises using the domain name to select the hosting and access descriptor in the database.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the hosting and access descriptor includes configuration information for a hypertext transfer protocol server.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the hosting and access descriptor includes an access control list, the access control list including a list of clients permitted to use a service on the computer.

18. An apparatus for providing Internet hosting and access using a plurality of computers, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a lookup request for a domain name;

means for accessing a database to select a computer in the plurality of computers, wherein the database comprises availability and configuration data, suitability data, and load information corresponding to each of the plurality of computers,

and wherein Internet hosting and access functions are dynamically allocated over the plurality of computers based on the plurality of load information, the availability and configuration data, and the suitability data, so that a number of the plurality of computers is allocated to provide Internet hosting and access functions based on the plurality of load information and an appropriate virtualization of a request into a context of a hosted site;

means for responding to the lookup request with an Internet protocol address corresponding to the computer;

means for receiving a request for Internet access at the computer;

means for selecting a hosting and access descriptor using the database;

means for using the hosting and access descriptor to configure the computer; and

means for responding to the request using the computer.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer program comprising:

a set of instructions for receiving a lookup request for a domain name;

a set of instructions for accessing a database to select a computer in a plurality of computers, wherein the database comprises availability and configuration data, suitability data, and load information corresponding to each of the plurality of computers,

and wherein Internet hosting and access functions are dynamically allocated over the plurality of computers based on the plurality of load information, the availability and configuration data, and the suitability data, so that a number of the plurality of computers is allocated to provide Internet hosting and access functions based on the plurality of load information and an appropriate virtualization of a request into a context of a hosted site;

a set of instructions for responding to the lookup request with an Internet protocol address corresponding to the computer;

a set of instructions for receiving a request for Internet access at the computer;

a set of instructions for selecting a hosting and access descriptor using the database;

a set of instructions for using the hosting and access descriptor to configure the computer; and

a set of instructions for responding to the request using the computer.

20. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising a computer program, the computer program comprising:

a set of instructions for receiving a lookup request for a domain name;

a set of instructions for accessing a database to select a computer in a plurality of computers, wherein the database comprises availability and configuration data, suitability data, and load information corresponding to each of the plurality of computers,

and wherein Internet hosting and access functions are dynamically allocated over the plurality of computers based on the plurality of load information, the availability and configuration data, and the suitability data, so that a number of the plurality of computers is allocated to provide Internet hosting and access functions based on the plurality of load information and an appropriate virtualization of a request into a context of a hosted site;

a set of instructions for responding to the lookup request with an Internet protocol address corresponding to the computer;

a set of instructions for receiving a request for Internet access at the computer;

a set of instructions for selecting a hosting and access descriptor using the database;

a set of instructions for using the hosting and access descriptor to configure the computer; and

a set of instructions for responding to the request using the computer.