US 6,611,861 B1 · Internet hosting and access system and method

Abstract

A method of providing Internet hosting and access is described. A database is used to store hosting and access descriptors. The hosting and access descriptors describe the configuration of Internet services such as HTTP, SMTP, POP3, IMAP4, and FTP for a hosted site. When a client over the Internet, or other network, requests a service from the hosted domain, the DNS system is interfaced to the database to select a computer to use to support the requested access. The database can also be used to store load information about the computers available for providing Internet hosting and access. Once the DNS system selects a computer and returns the IP address of the computer to the client, the subsequent communications are between the client and the selected computer directly. The selected computer can access the database to retrieve configuration information to respond to service requests from clients. In this fashion, a single hosted site can be distributed across multiple computers, or multiple hosted sites can share a single computer. Because all of the necessary configuration information is stored in a common database, additional computers can switch between servicing requests for different domains easily and can also be added and removed easily.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for providing Internet hosting and access comprising:

a plurality of computers, each of the plurality of computers adapted for providing respective Internet hosting and access functions according to a plurality of hosting and access descriptors;
and
a database in communication with the plurality of computers, the database comprising the plurality of hosting and access descriptors, each of the plurality of hosting and access descriptors corresponding to a hosted site, each of the plurality of hosting and access descriptors describing the configuration of Internet hosting and access services for the corresponding hosted site,
the database further comprising availability and configuration data, suitability data, and load information corresponding to each of the plurality of computers,
Internet hosting and access functions dynamically allocated over the plurality of computers based on the plurality of load information, the availability and configuration data, and the suitability data, so that a number of the plurality of computers is allocated to provide Internet hosting and access functions based on the plurality of load information and an appropriate virtualization of a request into a context of a hosted site.

2 more elements

A method of providing Internet hosting and access using a plurality of computers, the method comprising:

receiving a lookup request for a domain name at a domain name server;
accessing a database using the domain name server to select a computer in the plurality of computers, wherein the database comprises availability and configuration data, suitability data, and load information corresponding to each of the plurality of computers,
and wherein Internet hosting and access functions are dynamically allocated over the plurality of computers based on the plurality of load information, the availability and configuration data, and the suitability data, so that a number of the plurality of computers is allocated to provide Internet hosting and access functions based on the plurality of load information and an appropriate virtualization of a request into a context of a hosted site;
responding to the lookup request with an Internet protocol address corresponding to the computer;
receiving a request for Internet access at the computer;
selecting a hosting and access descriptor using the database;
using the hosting and access descriptor to configure the computer;
and
responding to the request using the computer.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Internet hosting and access system and method

Life of this patent

Internet hosting and access system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20