US 6,351,743 B1 · Method and apparatus for operating domain name servers

Abstract

A domain name server, DNS, for Internet Protocol or Intranet Protocol networks, that has a non-cached domain name server connected to a cached domain name server, and a query server that is connected to both the non-cached DNS and the cached DNS. The query server balances the query load between the DNSs. The query server compares counts of outstanding queries of each DNS and assigns the next query to the DNS with the fewer outstanding counts, unless the query is a special type known as an authoratative query. All authoratative queries are processed by the non-cached DNS. This is because the DNS information stored in the non-cached server is more carefully updated so its information has a higher level of correctness than the information in the cached DNS. Periodic updating of the non-cached DNS keeps its information at this higher level of correctness. The cached DNS runs a little faster because its domain name information updating is simpler than the non-cached DNS, but the chances for a DNS error or stale node address are higher.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method for operating a DNS having a named server and a cached server, said method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a query;
b. determining if the received query is authoratative, if it is authoratative, jumping to step h;
c. determining if the outstanding named query count is greater than the outstanding cached query count, if the outstanding named query count is not greater, jumping to step h;
d. sending the non-authoratative query to a cached server process;
e. incrementing a cached query received count;
f. processing the query;
g. incrementing a cached queries processed count and returning to step a. to receive the next query;
h. sending the non-authoratative query to named server process;
i. incrementing a named query received count;
j. processing the query;
and
k. incrementing a named queries processed count and returning to step a. to receiving the next query.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for operating domain name servers

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for operating domain name servers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7