Processing of DNS queries

• US 9,479,476 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• 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, Marshall, Bradley E., Pope, Elmore Eugene, Sivasubramanian, Swaminathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Harunur
• Application Number:
  US13/419,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/246, 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• 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 67/1036 Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A system, method and computer-readable medium for request routing. A client request processing a resource identifier for requested content transmits a first DNS query to a content delivery network service provider. The content delivery network service provider transmits an alternative resource identifier in response to the client computing device DNS query. The client computing device then issues a second DNS query to the same content delivery network service provider. The content delivery network service provider can then either resolve the second DNS query with an IP address of a cache component or transmit another alternative resource identifier that will resolve to the content delivery network service provider. The process can repeat with the content delivery network service provider'"'"'s network until a DNS server resolves a DNS query from the client computing device.

Claims

1. A method for request routing comprising:

obtaining a domain name system (DNS) query from a client computing device at a first DNS server of a content delivery network (CDN) service provider, wherein the DNS query corresponds to a requested resource associated with an original resource identifier provided by a content provider and wherein the CDN service provider is different from the content provider;

obtaining an alternative resource identifier based on information associated with the client computing device and the content provider if the first DNS server is determined not to be authoritative to the DNS query, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a DNS query to resolve to a domain corresponding to the CDN service provider;

causing transmission of the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device;

obtaining a second DNS query from the client computing device at a second DNS server of the CDN service provider based on the alternative resource identifier; and

if the second DNS server is determined to be authoritative to the second DNS query, selecting a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request and causing transmission of a network address identifying the selected cache component to the client computing device,

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices of the CDN service provider.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the content provider includes file information corresponding to the requested content and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a file processing plan provided by the CDN service provider.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the client computing device corresponds to a geographic location of the client computing device.

4. A system for request routing comprising:

a first domain name system (DNS) server at a first point of presence of a content delivery network (CDN) service provider, the first DNS server comprising a hardware processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to;

receive, from a client computing device, a first DNS query corresponding to a requested resource associated with an original resource identifier provided by a content provider, wherein the content provider is different from the CDN service provider;

if the first DNS server is determined not to be authoritative to the first DNS query, obtain an alternative resource identifier based on information associated with the client computing device and the content provider, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a DNS query to resolve to a domain corresponding to the CDN service provider; and

cause transmission of the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device; and

a second DNS server at a second network point of presence of the CDN service provider, the second DNS server comprising a hardware processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to;

receive, from the client computing device, a second DNS query based on the alternative resource identifier; and

if the second DNS server is determined to be authoritative to the second DNS query, select a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request and cause transmission of a network address identifying the selected cache component to the client computing device.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the information associated with the content provider includes file information corresponding to the requested content and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a file processing plan provided by the CDN service provider.

6. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the information associated with the client computing device corresponds to a geographic location of the client computing device.

7. A method for request routing comprising:

obtaining a domain name system (DNS) query from a client computing device at a first DNS server of a content delivery network (CDN) service provider, wherein the DNS query corresponds to a requested resource associated with a first resource identifier;

determining, at the first DNS server responsive to the DNS query, that the first resource identifier is associated with an alternative resource identifier;

causing transmission of the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a DNS query to resolve to a domain corresponding to the CDN service provider;

obtaining a subsequent DNS query from the client computing device at a second DNS server of the CDN service provider, wherein the subsequent DNS query is based on the alternative resource identifier provided by the CDN service provider;

resolving the subsequent DNS query, at the second DNS server, to identify a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request; and

causing transmission of a network address identifying the identified cache component to the client computing device,

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices of the CDN service provider.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein first resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator such that the DNS query resolves to a domain corresponding to the CDN service provider.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first resource identifier corresponds to an alternative resource identifier such that the DNS query resolves to a domain corresponding to the CDN service provider.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the alternative resource identifier corresponds to a canonical name record identifier.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first resource identifier and the alternative resource identifier include information identifying a same domain corresponding to the CDN service provider.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first resource identifier includes information identifying a first domain corresponding to the CDN service provider and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a second domain corresponding to the CDN service provider.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein determining that the first resource identifier is associated with an alternative resource identifier comprises:

obtaining resource routing information corresponding to a content provider associated with the requested content;

selecting an alternative resource identifier as a function of the resource routing information corresponding to the content provider associated with the requested content.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the information associated with the content provider includes regional service information and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a regional service plan provided by the CDN service provider.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the information associated with the content provider includes service level information and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a service level plan provided by the CDN service provider.

16. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising obtaining resource routing information corresponding to the client computing device associated with the DNS query.

17. A system for request routing comprising:

a first network point of presence of a content delivery network (CDN) service provider and including a first domain name system (DNS) server that receives a DNS query from a client computing device, wherein the DNS query corresponds to a requested resource associated with a first resource identifier, and wherein the first DNS server comprises a hardware processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to;

determine, responsive to the DNS query, that the first resource identifier is associated with an alternative resource identifier; and

cause transmission of the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a DNS query to resolve to a domain corresponding to the CDN service provider; and

a second network point of presence of the CDN service provider and including a second DNS server that receives a subsequent DNS query from the client computing device, wherein the subsequent DNS query is based on the alternative resource identifier, and wherein the second DNS server comprises a hardware processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to;

resolve the subsequent DNS query to identify a cache component for providing content associated with the original resource request; and

cause transmission of a network address identifying the identified cache component to the client computing device.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the first resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator provided by the content provider such that the DNS query resolves to a domain corresponding to the CDN service provider.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the alternative resource identifier corresponds to a canonical name record identifier.

20. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein determining that the first resource identifier is associated with an alternative resource identifier comprises:

obtaining resource routing information corresponding to a content provider associated with the requested content; and

selecting an alternative resource identifier as a function of the resource routing information corresponding to the content provider associated with the requested content.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the resource routing information associated with the content provider includes regional service information and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a regional service plan provided by the CDN service provider.

22. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the resource routing information associated with the content provider includes service level information and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a service level plan provided by the CDN service provider.

23. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the resource routing information associated with the content provider includes file information corresponding to the requested content and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a file processing plan provided by the CDN service provider.

24. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the first DNS server is further operative to obtain resource routing information corresponding to the client computing device associated with the DNS query.

25. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the resource routing information corresponding to the client computing device associated with the DNS query comprises a geographic location of the client computing device.

26. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein determining that the first resource identifier is associated with an alternative resource identifier is based on the resource routing information corresponding to the client computing device associated with the DNS query.

27. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the network address comprises a network address of a cache component in the second network point of presence.

28. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the network address comprises a network address of a cache component in another network point of presence.