Dynamic DNS-based service discovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10742592-B2
Application number	US-201715652094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Jul 30, 2014
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

Techniques are provided for performing dynamic DNS-SD. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more databases, one or more transceivers to receive a first Domain Name System (DNS) query from a first computing device, the first DNS query defining a first service discovery name space, and one or more processors in communication with each of the one or more databases and the one or more transceivers. The one or more processors generate and append a first metadata associated with the first computing device to the first DNS query. The one or more transceivers transmit the first DNS query and the first metadata to a Domain Name System (DNS) server computer, receive, from the DNS server computer, a first response responsive to the first DNS query, and relay, to the first computing device, the first response.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computing device, comprising:
one or more processors; and
storage storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive an indication of a requested service;
based at least in part on the indication, generate a first Domain Name System (DNS) query naming a domain for a DNS-based Service Discovery associated with the requested service;
generate first metadata associated with the computing device by selecting from among user metadata available at the computing device, the first metadata including the user metadata and at least one constraint on selecting from among service providers associated with the domain in the DNS-based Service Discovery to provide the requested service;
append the first metadata including the user metadata to the first DNS query; transmit the first DNS query with the first metadata to a DNS server computer;
receive, from the DNS server computer, a response list comprising a subset of the service providers, the subset having been selected based at least in part on the at least one constraint of the first metadata; and
cause the response list to be presented.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
generate the first metadata by selecting from among device metadata available at the computing device,
wherein the device metadata comprise at least one of a device system information, a device operating system information, a device connection characteristic, a device connection type, a device geographic location, and a device topological location, and wherein the user metadata available at the computing device comprise at lease one of user identifier information, a user preference, and user authorization information.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first user metadata comprise a user preference, and wherein the response list comprises identification of service providers that correspond to the user preference.

4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
generate the first metadata by selecting from among device metadata available at the computing device,
wherein the first metadata include a topological location of the computing device and wherein at least one of the service providers of the subset is located within a local network of the computing device.

5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
receive another indication identifying a selection from the response list;
in response to the selection, generate a second DNS query; and
send the second DNS query to the DNS server computer.

6. The computing device of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
receive, in response to the second DNS query, an address of a particular service provider of the subset corresponding to the selection from the response list; and
communicate with the particular service provider using the address.

7. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, an indication of a requested service;
based at least in part on the indication, generating a first Domain Name System (DNS) query naming a domain for a DNS-based Service Discovery associated with the requested service;
generating first metadata associated with the computing device by selecting from among multiple types of user metadata available at the computing device, the first metadata comprising at least one constraint on selecting from among service providers associated with the domain in the DNS-based Service Discovery to provide the requested service;
appending the first metadata including the user metadata to the first DNS query; transmitting the first DNS query with the first metadata to a DNS server computer;
receiving, by the computing device and from the DNS server computer, a response list comprising a subset of service providers, the subset having been selected based at least in part on the at least one constraint of the first metadata; and
causing the response list to be presented.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
generating the first metadata by selecting from among multiple types of device metadata available at the computing device,
wherein the device metadata available at the computing device comprise at least one of a device system information, a device operating system information, a device connection characteristic, a device connection type, a device geographic location, and a device topological location.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the device metadata include a topological location of the computing device and wherein at least one of the service providers of the subset is located within a local network of the computing device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one constraint of the first metadata restricts, from the response list, another service provider that is associated with the domain of the DNS-based Service Discovery and is not within the local network of the computing device.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving another indication identifying a selection from the response list;
in response to the selection, generating a second DNS query; and
sending the second DNS query to the DNS server computer.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, in response to the second DNS query, an address of a particular service provider of the subset corresponding to the selection from the response list; and
communicating with the particular service provider using the address.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one constraint of the first metadata is related to a geographic location of the computing device.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving a user preference associated with the requested service,
wherein the user metadata comprises the user preference.

15. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, an indication of a requested service;
based at least in part on the indication, generating a first Domain Name System (DNS) query naming a domain for a DNS-based Service Discovery associated with the requested service;
generating first metadata at least in part by selecting from among multiple types of user metadata;
appending the first metadata to the first DNS query, the first metadata comprising at least one constraint on selecting from among service providers associated with the domain in the DNS-based Service Discovery to provide the requested service;
transmitting the first DNS query with the first metadata including the user metadata to a DNS server computer;
receiving, by the computing device and from the DNS server computer, a response list comprising a subset of service providers, the subset having been selected based at least in part on the at least one constraint of the first metadata; and
causing the response list to be presented.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the generating the first metadata is performed in a first instance and the first metadata are associated with a geographic location of the computing device, the method further comprising:
in a second instance at a second geographic location of the computing device, generating a second DNS query naming the domain;
generating second metadata associated with the second geographic location of the computing device;
appending the second metadata to the second DNS query; and
transmitting the second DNS query with the second metadata to the DNS server computer.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Droms Ralph
• Donahue Timothy P

Classifications

• H04L61/4511 Primary

  using domain name system [DNS] · CPC title

• H04L61/4541 Primary

  Directories for service discovery · CPC title

• H04L61/5076

  Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS · CPC title

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L61/1541

  Electricity · mapped topic