User-configurable dynamic DNS mapping for virtual services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11546289-B1
Application number	US-202016990813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	Apr 4, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

Various example implementations are directed to circuits, apparatuses, and methods for providing virtual computing services. According to an example embodiment, an apparatus includes a computing server configured to provide a respective group of virtual servers for each of a plurality of accounts. Each of the accounts has a respective set of domain names and a respective settings file. The apparatus also includes a domain name server (DNS). The DNS is to dynamically map a respective set of domain names for each account to network addresses of the respective group of virtual servers, provided for the account. The DNS performs the mapping according to a mapping function indicated in the respective settings file of the account. The respective settings file of a first account accounts includes a mapping function that is different from a mapping function included in the respective settings file of a second account.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
at least one computing server to provide a respective group of virtual servers, including at least a first virtual server and a second virtual server, for each of a plurality of accounts, wherein each of the plurality of accounts has a respective set of domain names and a respective settings file for providing data-communication services, and wherein the at least one computing server includes processing circuitry to monitor one or more of the virtual servers provided for at least one of the plurality of accounts and provide a set of parameters associated with said one or more of the monitored virtual servers; and
a domain name server (DNS) to, for each respective account, dynamically map domain names of the respective set of domain names to network addresses of the respective group of virtual servers according to a mapping function indicated in the respective settings file of the account, wherein the respective settings file of the account includes a first mapping function being associated with specific users of the account or with a specific department being provided data-communication services by said at least one computing server, and said at least one computing server and the DNS are cooperatively to determine at least one parameter from among the set of parameters relating to the respective group of virtual servers and, in response to the determined at least one parameter, to remap a domain name between the first virtual server and the second virtual server.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the respective settings file of each account includes a first mapping function for a first type of virtual server associated with the account and a second mapping function for a second type of virtual server associated with the account.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mapping function indicated in the respective settings file of the account is shared for the group of virtual servers associated with the account.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the different aspects for each respective account is associated with a plurality of departments.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the different aspects for each respective account is associated with specific users of the account.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein for at least one of the plurality of accounts, the mapping function in the settings file for the account maps at least one domain name to one of the group of virtual servers based on the set of parameters of the virtual server.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of parameters include at least two of: an operating status of the virtual servers, a processing load of the virtual servers, network traffic conditions, quality of service requirements, geographical location of an end-user, permissions of an end-user, date or time of a query, a type of virtual server associated with the domain name, and a number of servers associated with the domain name.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is to provide a respective virtual data center for each of the respective accounts, wherein for each virtual data center, the respective virtual servers are interconnected according to data center configuration settings included in the respective settings file for the account.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a web accessible graphical user interface to, for each of the plurality of accounts, allow an authorized user indicated in the settings file of the account to modify the mapping function.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein for each virtual server in the respective group of virtual servers, the network addresses includes
an IP address of the at least one computing server that provides the virtual server, and a port number of computing server assigned to the virtual server.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined at least one parameter is one of: an operating status of the virtual servers, a processing load of the virtual servers, network traffic conditions, quality of service requirements, geographical location of an end-user, permissions of an end-user, date or time of a query, a type of virtual server associated with the domain name, and a number of servers associated with the domain name.

12. The system of claim 1 , including providing domain templates for each of the plurality of accounts, each domain template including preconfigured mapping criteria that are editable by authorized users of the respective accounts.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein for at least one of the plurality of accounts, the remapping of the domain name based on the determined at least one parameter includes remapping the domain name to the second virtual server based on a processing load of the first or second virtual server.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the group of virtual servers, for at least one of the plurality of accounts, is to provide data-communication services including at least one of the following: services for communicating emails, and services for facilitating virtual meetings.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the group of virtual servers, for at least one of the plurality of accounts, is to provide VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) communication services.

16. A method comprising:
using at least one computing server to provide data-communication services via a respective group of virtual servers and consistent with respective ones of a plurality of accounts for client entities receiving the data-communication services, wherein each of the plurality of accounts has a respective set of domain names and a respective settings file for providing the data-communication services; and
for each respective account and via a domain name server (DNS) communicatively coupled to said at least one computing server, dynamically mapping domain names of the respective set of domain names to network addresses of the respective group of virtual servers according to a mapping function indicated in the respective settings file of the account, wherein:
the respective settings file of the account includes a first mapping function being associated with specific users of the account or a specific department being provided data-communication services by said at least one computing server;
said at least one computing server and the DNS are cooperatively to determine at least one parameter from among a set of parameters relating to the respective group of virtual servers and, in response to the determined at least one parameter, to remap a domain name between A first virtual server and a second virtual server; and
monitoring, via processing circuitry, one or more of the virtual servers provided for at least one of the plurality of accounts and providing the set of parameters of the monitored virtual servers to the DNS.

17. A computer-readable device including instructions which, in response to being executed by a computer processor circuitry in a system having at least one computing server to provide a respective group of virtual servers, causes a method to be performed, the method comprising:
using at least one computing server to provide data-communication services via a respective group of virtual servers and consistent with respective ones of a plurality of accounts for client entities receiving the data-communication services, wherein each of the plurality of accounts has a respective set of domain names and a respective settings file for providing the data-communication services; and
for each respective account and via a domain name server (DNS) communicatively coupled to said at least one computing server, dynamicall

Assignees

• 8×8 Inc
• 8X8 Inc

Inventors

• Britt Timothy
• Martin Bryan
• Peters Christopher

Classifications

• H04L67/63

  Routing a service request depending on the request content or context · CPC title

• H04L2101/69

  using geographic information, e.g. room number · CPC title

• H04L41/22

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• H04L61/58

  Caching of addresses or names · CPC title

• H04L41/0893

  Assignment of logical groups to network elements · CPC title