Application verification for hosted services

• US 9,444,909 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Manolache, Doru Costin, Kowitz, Braden
• Primary Examiner(s): Sciacca, Scott M
• Application Number:
  US13/489,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/216, 709/220, 709/223, 709/225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

In a client-server environment providing hosted services, an application service server receives from a client a first request for hosted services associated with a user-specified domain name. If the server does not provide hosted services for that domain name, the server designates the first request as pending and provides a limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request. The server provides a complete set of the hosted services requested in the first request if it can be established that a first user associated with the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the domain-name. In some embodiments, the server denies the first request and cancels the limited services if it is not shown within a predetermined period of time that the first user has the appropriate authority.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed at a server system having one or more processors and memory, the method comprising:

receiving a first request for hosted services associated with a user-specified domain name that designates a network domain;

if the hosted services are not being provided for the user-specified domain name, prior to establishing that a first user associated with the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, designating the first request as pending and providing a limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, wherein the limited set of the hosted services is a nonempty subset of a complete set of hosted services for the user-specified domain name;

conducting a screening process for the user-specified domain name, said conducting including evaluating whether the user-specified domain name includes any terms from a predefined set of terms;

providing the complete set of the hosted services in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process; and

after first providing the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request;

receiving a second request for hosted services associated with the user-specified domain name that designates the network domain;

providing the complete set of the hosted services in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the second request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process; and

terminating the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request includes:

enabling an applicant of the first request to create a set of user accounts; and

enabling a user associated with one of the user accounts to log into the user account and view digital contents associated with the user account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the complete set of hosted services, but not the limited set of hosted services, includes associating a second user-specified domain name with the hosted services provided for the user-specified domain name.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, the applicant of the first request is determined to have appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name in accordance with detection that a predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name has been updated by the applicant in a predefined manner.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name comprises a mail exchange record for the user-specified domain name.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a set of hosted services comprises services for at least one administrator account and multiple regular user accounts.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

suspending, without terminating, the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established within a predetermined period of time that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

terminating the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established, within a second predetermined period of time, that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, wherein the second predetermined period of time is longer than the first predetermined period of time.

9. A computer system, comprising:

memory;

at least one processor; and

at least one program stored in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the at least one program including;

instructions for receiving a first request for establishing hosted services associated with a user-specified domain name that designates a network domain;

instructions for designating the first request as pending and providing a limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, prior to establishing that a first user associated with the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, if the hosted services are not being provided for the user-specified domain name, wherein the limited set of the hosted services is a nonempty subset of a complete set of hosted services for the user-specified domain name;

instructions for conducting a screening process for the user-specified domain name, said conducting including evaluating whether the user-specified domain name includes any terms from a predefined set of terms;

instructions for providing the complete set of the hosted services in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process;

instructions for receiving a second request, after first providing the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, the second request comprising a request for hosted services associated with the user-specified domain name that designates the network domain; and

instructions for providing the complete set of the hosted services, and terminating the limited set of the host services in association with the first request, in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the second request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request includes:

instructions for enabling an applicant of the first request to create a set of user accounts; and

instructions for enabling a user associated with one of the user accounts to log into the user account and view digital contents associated with the user account.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the complete set of hosted services, but not the limited set of hosted services, includes associating a second user-specified domain name with the hosted services provided for the user-specified domain name.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein, the applicant of the first request is determined to have appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name in accordance with detection that a predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name has been updated by the applicant in a predefined manner.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name comprises a mail exchange record for the user-specified domain name.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein a set of hosted services comprises services for at least one administrator account and multiple regular user accounts.

15. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising:

instructions for suspending, without terminating, the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established within a predetermined period of time that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

instructions for terminating the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established, within a second predetermined period of time, that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, wherein the second predetermined period of time is longer than the first predetermined period of time.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising:

instructions for receiving a first request for establishing hosted services associated with a user-specified domain name that designates a network domain;

instructions for designating the first request as pending and providing a limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, prior to establishing that a first user associated with the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, if the hosted services are not being provided for the user-specified domain name, wherein the limited set of the hosted services is a nonempty subset of a complete set of hosted services for the user-specified domain name;

instructions for conducting a screening process for the user-specified domain name, said conducting including evaluating whether the user-specified domain name includes any terms from a predefined set of terms;

instructions for providing the complete set of the hosted services in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process;

instructions for receiving a second request, after first providing the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, the second request comprising a request for hosted services associated with the user-specified domain name that designates the network domain; and

instructions for providing the complete set of the hosted services, and terminating the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the second request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request includes:

instructions for enabling an applicant of the first request to create a set of user accounts; and

instructions for enabling a user associated with one of the user accounts to log into the user account and view digital contents associated with the user account.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the complete set of hosted services, but not the limited set of hosted services, includes associating a second user-specified domain name with the hosted services provided for the user-specified domain name.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein, the applicant of the first request is determined to have appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name in accordance with detection that a predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name has been updated by the applicant in a predefined manner.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name comprises a mail exchange record for the user-specified domain name.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein a set of hosted services comprises services for at least one administrator account and multiple regular user accounts.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

instructions for suspending, without terminating, the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established within a predetermined period of time that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, further comprising:

instructions for terminating the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established, within a second predetermined period of time, that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, wherein the second predetermined period of time is longer than the first predetermined period of time.