# US 2016/0255146 A1 · Detecting Anomalous Conditions in a Name Server Network

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- Number: US 2016/0255146 A1
- Document ID: US20160255146A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/954,092
- Filed: 2015-11-30
- Published: 2016-09-01
- Earliest claimed: 2001-09-28
- Assignees: Level 3 Communications, LLC
- Applicants: Level 3 Communications, LLC
- Inventors: Paul E. Stolorz; John K. Salmon; Michael S. Warren; Jeffrey G. Koller; Aric Hagberg; Maksim Yevmenkin; Mark Brady; David Pfitzner; Ted Middleton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160255146A1

## CPC

- H04L 67/1034: Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
- H04L 41/0631: using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
- H04L 41/069: using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
- H04L 41/0894: Policy-based network configuration management
- H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
- H04L 43/00: Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
- H04L 43/04: Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
- H04L 61/35: {involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function}
- H04L 61/4511: using domain name system [DNS]
- H04L 67/1001: for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
- H04L 67/1008: based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload (monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30)
- H04L 67/1021: based on client or server locations
- H04L 67/1023: based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
- H04L 67/1029: using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
- H04L 67/1036: Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers
- H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
- H04L 67/55: Push-based network services
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
- H04W 4/20: Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
- H04L 43/045: for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
- H04L 43/06: Generation of reports
- H04L 43/0811: by checking connectivity
- H04L 43/0817: by checking functioning
- H04L 43/0852: Delays
- H04L 43/10: Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
- H04L 43/12: Network monitoring probes
- H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
- H04L 67/1031: Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
- H04L 69/329: in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A method includes monitoring the operational status of at least some name servers in a name server network. Based on the monitoring, when an error or anomalous condition is detected at a particular name server, creating a policy to indicate the status of the particular name server. The policy is taken into account when resolving hostnames using the name server network.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
monitoring an operational status of at least some of a plurality of name servers in a name server network; and
based on said monitoring, when an error or anomalous condition is detected at a particular name server, creating a policy to indicate the status of the particular name server, wherein the policy is taken into account when resolving hostnames using the name server network.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the error or anomalous condition at the particular name server is based one or more events that occurred in the name server during operation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the error or anomalous condition at the particular name server means that the particular name server is not available, and wherein the policy indicates that the particular name server is unavailable.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
supplying logging and monitoring data to an administrative framework.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring events from said name server network.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring events from multiple name servers in said name server network.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising:
consolidating said events from said multiple names servers;
determining, based on said events from said multiple names servers, whether there is an alarming situation; and
based on said determining, generating an alert.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 further comprising:
sending said alert to a network operation center (NOC).

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further comprising:
sending said alert to a subscriber.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the framework includes a plurality of name servers forming a name server network and implementing policy-based name resolution.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 operable in an adaptive traffic control (ATC) framework in which resources of one of more content providers may be delivered to clients from at least one content delivery network (CDN).

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein delivery of content of a particular content provider to a client involves at least one of said name servers resolving a hostname associated with the content.

### Claim 13

A method comprising:
monitoring an operational status of at least some of a plurality of name servers in a name server network; and
based on said monitoring, when an error or anomalous condition is detected at a particular name server, creating a policy to indicate the status of the particular name server,
wherein the policy is taken into account when resolving hostnames using the name server network, wherein the error or anomalous condition at the particular name server is based one or more events that occurred in the name server during operation, and wherein the error or anomalous condition at the particular name server means that the particular name server is not available, and wherein the policy indicates that the particular name server is unavailable.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 further comprising:
supplying logging and monitoring data to an administrative framework.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring events from said name server network.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring events from multiple name servers in said name server network.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 further comprising:
consolidating said events from said multiple names servers;
determining, based on said events from said multiple names servers, whether there is an alarming situation; and
based on said determining, generating an alert.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 further comprising:
sending said alert to a network operation center (NOC).

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 further comprising:
sending said alert to a subscriber.