Multi-domain configuration handling in an edge network server

• US 9,769,238 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Laghate, Prasanna, Stevens, Matthew J., Shotton, Frederick R., Hatala, Jozef, Ludin, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Bryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIDADO, OLUWATOSIN M
• Application Number:
  US13/666,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 709217, 709219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30

Abstract

An Internet infrastructure delivery platform operated by a provider enables HTTP-based service to identified third parties at large scale. The platform provides this service to one or more cloud providers. The approach enables the CDN platform provider (the first party) to service third party traffic on behalf of the cloud provider (the second party). In operation, an edge server handling mechanism leverages DNS to determine if a request with an unknown host header should be serviced. Before serving a response, and assuming the host header includes an unrecognized name, the edge server resolves the host header and obtains an intermediate response, typically a list of aliases (e.g., DNS CNAMEs). The edge server checks the returned CNAME list to determine how to respond to the original request. Using just a single edge configuration, the CDN service provider can support instant provisioning of a cloud provider'"'"'s identified third party traffic.

Claims

1. Apparatus operated by a first party, comprising:

a first processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the first processor, the computer program instructions comprising;

code to receive, via a secure extranet portal, from a second party data activating a multi-domain configuration (MDC) handling function, the second party being a customer of the first party for a delivery service provided by the first party over an infrastructure that includes the apparatus, the MDC handling function being a service offering of the first party enabling mapping to a single configuration file associated with the second party of a set of unique second party customer domain names, each of the set of unique second party customer names being associated with a third party, the third party being a customer of the second party but not a customer of the first party, wherein the single configuration file includes one or more content handling directives to be applied to both second party content and third party content delivered by the content delivery service of the first party, the MDC handling function enabling the second party to use the delivery service provided by the first party while also enabling the first party to capture and account for data representing third party traffic delivered over the infrastructure using the unique second party customer domain names;

a second processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the second processor, the computer program instructions executed by the second processor comprising;

code to receive a request having a host header associated therewith, the host header including a value;

code to determine whether the value in the host header is recognized as a second party domain;

code to perform a Domain Name System (DNS) query on the value when the value in the host header is not recognized as a second party domain;

code to receive a Canonical Name (CNAME) chain in response to the DNS query;

code to analyze the CNAME chain to determine whether a predetermined pattern is recognized, the predetermined pattern being associated with the MDC handling function; and

code to use the predetermined pattern and other data to attempt to locate a content handling metadata file when the predetermined pattern is recognized.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the computer program instructions further include:

code to apply information in the content handling metadata file; and

code to return a response to the request.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1 further including a cache.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the computer program instructions also include code to cache the CNAME chain for re-use.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the computer program instructions include code to return an error if the content handling metadata file cannot be located from the predetermined pattern and the other data.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the computer program instructions further include code responsive to a determination that the CNAME chain does not have the predetermined pattern to attempt to validate an authorization token associated with an edge hostname.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the computer program instructions further include code to determine whether the intermediate pattern also include a prefix value.

8. A system, comprising:

secure web portal-accessible provisioning software that executes on hardware operated by a first party to enable a second party customer of the first party to provision, for handling by the first party, a multi-domain name configuration (MDC) digital property that is associated with a set of third party domain names, the third party domain names being associated with third party customers of the second party that are not customers of the first party;

at least one server machine operated by the first party that includes a software process that executes on hardware (i) to receive a request having a host header associated therewith, the host header including a value, to determine whether the value in the host header is recognized as a second party domain, to perform a Domain Name System (DNS) query on the value when the value in the host header is not recognized as a second party domain, to receive a Canonical Name (CNAME) chain in response to the DNS query, to analyze the CNAME chain to determine whether a predetermined pattern is recognized, the predetermined pattern being associated with the MDC digital property; and

to use the predetermined pattern and other data to attempt to locate a configuration file for the MDC digital property when the predetermined pattern is recognized; and

(ii) to apply at least one content handling directive in the configuration file to a request for third party content;

wherein the first party is a content delivery network service provider, the second party is a cloud service provider, and the third party is cloud service provider customer, the content delivery network service provider providing the second party a multi-domain configuration (MDC) handling function using the MDC digital property as a service offering, the MDC handling function enabling the second party to use delivery services provided by the first party while also enabling the first party to capture and account for data representing third party customer traffic delivered using the third party domain names.

9. The system as described in claim 8 wherein the CNAME chain includes at least one intermediate Canonical Name (CNAME).

10. The system as described in claim 9 wherein the web-accessible provisioning software includes a configuration manager that establishes a naming convention for the MDC digital property and enforces the naming conventional through a Canonical Name (CNAME) provisioning tool that provisions that intermediate CNAME.

11. A method, comprising:

providing a secure web portal-accessible provisioning portal operated by a first party;

receiving data via the web portal-accessible provisioning portal, the data having been entered by a second party customer of the first party to provision, for handling by the first party, a multi-domain name configuration (MDC) digital property that is associated with a set of third party domain names, the third party domain names being associated with third party customers of the second party that are not customers of the first party;

providing each of a set of server machines operated by the first party with a configuration file associated with the MDC digital property that has been provisioned from the data received via the web portal-accessible provisioning portal;

receiving a request having a host header associated therewith, the host header including a value and, in response;

determining whether the value in the host header is recognized as a second party domain, performing a Domain Name System (DNS) query on the value when the value in the host header is not recognized as a second party domain, receiving a Canonical Name (CNAME) chain in response to the DNS query, analyzing the CNAME chain to determine whether a predetermined pattern is recognized, the predetermined pattern being associated with the MDC digital property, and using the predetermined pattern and other data to attempt to locate the configuration file associated with the MDC digital property when the predetermined pattern is recognized; and

applying at least one content handling directive in the configuration file to a request for third party content;

wherein the first party is a content delivery network service provider, the second party is a cloud service provider, and the third party is cloud service provider customer, the content delivery network service provider providing the second party a multi-domain configuration (MDC) handling function using the MDC digital property as a service offering, the MDC handling function enabling the second party to use delivery services provided by the first party while also enabling the first party to capture and account for data representing third party customer traffic delivered using the third party domain names.

12. The method as described in claim 11 further including:

delivering the third party content, wherein the delivery is associated with the second party.