Request routing management based on network components

• US 8,577,992 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richardson, David R., Cormie, John, MacCarthaigh, Colm, Redman, Benjamin W. S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baturay, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US12/892,880
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing request routing functionality associated with resource requests for one or more resources associated with a content provider are provided. A content delivery network (“CDN”) service provider, on behalf of a content provider, can process domain name service (“DNS”) requests for resources by computing devices and resolve the DNS requests by the identification of a network address of a computing device that will provide the requested resources. Based on the processing of DNS queries initiated by a client computing device, the CDN service provider can measure CDN service provider latencies associated with the generation of DNS requests by network components associated with the client computing devices. Examples of the network components can include DNS resolvers associated with the client computing devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing content comprising:

providing, by a service provider, at least one identifier for causing client computing devices to generate a request for content to the service provider, the at least one identifier to be included as an embedded resource identifier provided by a content provider;

obtaining, by the service provider, a first domain name service (DNS) query from a DNS resolver component responsive to the embedded resource identifier provided by the content provider, the first DNS query corresponding to an embedded resource associated with the embedded resource identifier, and the DNS resolver component providing the first DNS query on behalf of a client computing device in accordance with a first network routing scheme;

determining, by the service provider, performance measurement information associated with the first DNS query;

generating, by the service provider, an alternative identifier responsive to the first DNS query, the alternative identifier including information for causing a second DNS query associated with the embedded resource to resolve to a domain corresponding to the service provider;

transmitting, by the service provider, the alternative identifier to the DNS resolver component;

obtaining, by the service provider, the second DNS query from the DNS resolver component associated with the client computing device, the second DNS query corresponding to a second network routing scheme;

determining, by the service provider, performance measurement information associated with the second DNS query; and

transmitting, by the service provider, information responsive to the received second DNS query, the performance measurement information associated with the first and second DNS queries corresponding to latency information corresponding to a communication latency between the DNS resolver component and a component of the service provider.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one identifier for causing client computing devices to generate a request for content to the service provider corresponds to a uniform resource locator of the service provider.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the alternative identifier corresponds to a canonical name record.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the alternative identifier includes a label representative of at least a portion of a network address associated with the content provider.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the alternative identifier includes a label representative of timing information.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first DNS query is transmitted in accordance with an anycast network routing scheme.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the second DNS query is transmitted in accordance with a unicast network routing scheme.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first network routing scheme corresponds to a first network path and the second network routing scheme corresponds to a second network path.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second DNS query is obtained by a network component different from a network component obtaining the first DNS query.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained by a single network component.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained by different network components.

12. A computer-implemented method for processing content comprising:

obtaining, by a service provider, a first domain name service (DNS) query from a network component responsive to at least one embedded resource identifier, the first DNS query corresponding to an embedded resource associated with the embedded resource identifier, and the network component providing the first DNS query on behalf of a client computing device in accordance with a first network routing scheme;

transmitting, by the service provider, an alternative identifier responsive to the DNS query from the network component, the alternative identifier to cause the network component to transmit a second DNS query associated with the embedded resource to a component associated with the service provider;

obtaining, by the service provider, the second DNS query from the network component, the network component providing the second DNS query on behalf of a client computing device in accordance with a second network routing scheme; and

determining, by the service provider, performance measurement information associated with the first and second DNS queries.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the embedded resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator of the service provider.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the alternative identifier corresponds to a canonical name record.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the alternative identifier references a domain different from a domain associated with the embedded resource identifier.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the alternative identifier includes a label representative of request routing information identifying the different component associated with the service provider.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the alternative identifier includes timestamp information.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the alternative identifier further includes a label representative of additional information associated with the client computing device.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the first DNS query is transmitted in accordance with an anycast network scheme.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the second DNS query is transmitted in accordance with a unicast network scheme.

21. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the network component corresponds to a DNS resolver component.

22. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the first network routing scheme corresponds to a first network path and the second network routing scheme corresponds to a second network path.

23. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained by different network components.

24. A computer-implemented system for processing content, the system comprising:

a data store for storing performance monitoring information associated with network components associated with client computing device requests for content; and

a computing system in communication with said data store and associated with a service provider, the computing system including a hardware component and operative to;

obtain a first domain name service (DNS) query from a network component responsive to at least one embedded resource identifier, the first DNS query corresponding to an embedded resource associated with the embedded resource identifier, and the network component providing the first DNS query on behalf of a client computing device in accordance with a first network scheme;

transmit an alternative identifier responsive to the first DNS query from the network component, the alternative identifier to cause the network component to transmit a second DNS query associated with the embedded resource to a component associated with the service provider;

obtain the second DNS query from the network component, the network component providing the second DNS query on behalf of a client computing device in accordance with a second network scheme; and

determine performance information associated with the first and second DNS queries.

25. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the embedded resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator of the service provider.

26. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the alternative identifier corresponds to a canonical name record.

27. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the alternative identifier references a domain different from a domain associated with the embedded resource identifier.

28. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the alternative identifier further includes timestamp information.

29. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the first DNS query is transmitted in accordance with an anycast network scheme.

30. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the second DNS query is transmitted in accordance with a unicast network scheme.

31. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the network component corresponds to a DNS resolver component.

32. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the first DNS network scheme corresponds to a first network path and the second DNS network scheme corresponds to a second network path.

33. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the first and second DNS queries are obtained by different network components.