System and method for qualifying requests in a network

• US 6,968,389 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vilhuber, Jan, Menditto, Louis F., Batz, Robert M., Tiwari, Pranav K., Tsang, Tzu-Ming, Housel, Barron C., Bhargava, Anurag, Brim, Scott W., Shah, Gaurang K., Zallocco, Mauro
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/908,217
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 709/233, 709/230, 709217-219, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/233
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

An information service provider network includes a content gateway to process requests for information from a client terminal. The content gateway includes a router for receiving a domain name server query from an originator associated with a request for information. The router including a database defining a relationship between domain names and addresses associated with accelerated servicing of requests. The router determines whether the domain name of the domain name server query is indexed in the database. The domain name is qualified in response to the domain name being in the database. If qualified, the router sends an address to the originator of the query corresponding in the database to the domain name. The address is to a processor associated with the router that performs accelerated services on the request.

Claims

1. A system for qualifying requests in a network, comprising:

a router operable to receive a domain name server query from an originator associated with a request for information, the router including a database defining a relationship between domain names and addresses, the router operable to determine whether the domain name of the domain name server query is indexed in the database, the domain name being qualified in response to the domain name being in the database; and

a processor associated with the router, an address of the processor being indexed in the database, the router operable to provide the address of the processor to the originator in response to the domain name being qualified and indicating the address of the processor in the database, wherein content of the request is compared to a classification policy, and wherein a server is identified to process the request according to a processing policy in response to the request having a classification policy.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to identify an information source in response to a content of the request.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an authoritative domain name server operable to identify an information source for the request, the router operable to forward the query to the authoritative domain name server in response to the domain name not being qualified.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the query to a policy manager in response to the domain name not being qualified at the database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an address of a processor in response to the query being qualified at the policy manager.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing the request to the identified processor.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving information from the server to satisfy the request;

providing the information to the originator.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the query to an authoritative domain name server in response to the domain name not being qualified.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an address of a server to process the request.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing the request to the server.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving information from the server to satisfy the request;

providing the information to the originator.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

forwarding the query to an authoritative domain name server in response to the domain name not being qualified at the database;

receiving an address of a server to process the request;

discarding the address of the server in response to the domain name being qualified at the policy manager.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the request to the identified server;

receiving information associated with the request from the identified server;

providing the information to the originator.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a content of the request other than the domain name to a classification policy;

forwarding the domain name server query to an authoritative domain name server in response to the request not having a classification policy.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving an address of a server to process the request from the authoritative domain name server;

providing the address of the server to the originator.

4. A computer readable medium including code for qualifying requests in a network, the code operable to perform a process comprising:

receiving a domain name server query associated with a request for information;

scanning a database to determine whether a domain name in the domain name server query is qualified for accelerated processing;

identifying an address of a processor associated with the domain name in response to the domain name being qualified at the database;

providing the address of the processor to an originator of the domain name server query;

receiving the request from the originator;

providing the request to the identified processor;

comparing a content of the request other than the domain name to a classification policy; and

identifying a server to process the request according to a processing policy in response to the request having a classification policy.

5. A method for qualifying requests in a network, comprising:

receiving a domain name server query associated with a request for information;

scanning a database to determine whether a domain name in the domain name server query is qualified for accelerated processing;

identifying an address of a processor associated with the domain name in response to the domain name being qualified at the database;

providing the address of the processor to an originator of the domain name server query;

receiving the request from the originator;

providing the request to the identified processor;

comparing a content of the request other than the domain name to a classification policy; and

identifying a server to process the request according to a processing policy in response to the request having a classification policy.

18. A system for qualifying requests in a network, comprising:

means for receiving a domain name server query associated with a request for information;

means for scanning a database to determine whether a domain name in the domain name server query is qualified for accelerated processing;

means for identifying an address of a processor associated with the domain name in response to the domain name being qualified at the database;

means for providing the address of the processor to an originator of the domain name server query;

means for receiving the request from the originator;

means for providing the request to the identified processor;

means for comparing a content of the request other than the domain name to a classification policy; and

means for identifying a server to process the request according to a processing policy in response to the request having a classification policy.