FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) routes optimization in SDWAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Networking)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11546291-B1
Application number	US-202117521814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 8, 2021
Priority date	Nov 8, 2021
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A DNS (Domain Name Server) proxy is configured as a DNS server for clients on the enterprise network to send two or more DNS queries to collect each available IP addresses on a SDWAN member link. IP address collection can be responsive to receiving a DNS request from a client for assigning a FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name). Service quality can be evaluated for the service on each member link of the IP addresses. An IP address is assigned to the client based on the service quality evaluation. A notification is transmitted to the client in a DNS response to the IP address request, with the chosen IP address information for configuration.

First claim

We claim:

1. An SDWAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) controller to administer an SDWAN for an enterprise network over a data communication network by assigning resolved IP addresses based on evaluating all IP addresses that are available for services, the SDWAN server comprising:
a processor;
a network interface communicatively coupled to the data communication network and to the enterprise network; and
a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor and storing:
a DNS proxy configured as a DNS (Domain Name Server) server for clients on the enterprise network to send a DNS query on two or more uplinks to collect each of the available IP addresses on a SDWAN member link, responsive to receiving a DNS request from a client for assigning a FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name), and to receive a response from the two or more uplinks;
a service quality monitor to evaluate service quality for the service for the IP addresses of the two or more uplinks; and
a SDWAN scheduler to assign an IP address based on the service quality evaluation and transmit notification to the client in a DNS response of the IP address, wherein a cache of the DNS proxy stores the assigned IP address along with an uplink identifier in a tuple format.

2. The SDWAN controller of claim 1 , wherein the service quality comprises evaluations of at least availability, packet loss, latency and jitter.

3. The SDWAN controller of claim 1 , wherein the DNS proxy updates the cache with the chosen IP address that has been resolved for the client.

4. The SDWAN controller of claim 1 , wherein the SDWAN scheduler installs SDWAN rules to choose the best uplink.

5. The SDWAN controller of claim 1 , wherein the chosen IP address does not currently have a highest service quality.

6. The SDWAN controller of claim 1 , wherein two or more IP addresses are provided responsive to the two or more DNS queries, and the chosen IP address is not a first response from the two or more DNS queries.

7. A method in a SDWAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) controller for an enterprise network over a data communication network by assigning resolved IP addresses based on evaluating all IP addresses that are available for services, the method comprising the steps of:
configuring a DNS proxy as a DNS (Domain Name Server) server for clients on the enterprise network to send a DNS query on two or more uplinks to collect each of the available IP addresses on a SDWAN member link, responsive to receiving a DNS request from a client for assigning a FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name), and to receive a response from the two or more uplinks; and
evaluating service quality for the service for the IP addresses of the two or more uplinks; and
assigning an IP address for based on the service quality evaluation and transmit notification to the client in a DNS response of the IP address, wherein a cache of the DNS proxy stores the assigned IP address along with an uplink identifier in a tuple format.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the service quality comprises evaluations of at least availability, packet loss, latency and jitter.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the DNS proxy updates a cache with the chosen IP address that has been resolved for the client.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the SDWAN scheduler installs SDWAN rules to choose the best uplink.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the chosen IP address does not currently have a highest service quality.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein two or more IP addresses are provided responsive to the two or more DNS queries, and the chosen IP address is not a first response from the two or more DNS queries.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable media in a SDWAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) controller, implemented at least partially in hardware for, when executed by a processor, administering an SDWAN for an enterprise network over a data communication network by assigning resolved IP addresses based on evaluating all IP addresses that are available for services, the method comprising the steps of:
configuring a DNS proxy as a DNS (Domain Name Server) server for clients on the enterprise network to send a DNS query on two or more uplinks to collect each of the available IP addresses on a SDWAN member link, responsive to receiving a DNS request from a client for assigning a FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name), and to receive a response from the two or more uplinks; and
evaluating service quality for the service for the IP addresses of the two or more uplinks; and
assigning an IP address for based on the service quality evaluation and transmit notification to the client in a DNS response of the IP address, wherein a cache of the DNS proxy stores the assigned IP address along with an uplink identifier in a tuple format.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the service quality comprises evaluations of at least availability, packet loss, latency and jitter.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the DNS proxy updates a cache with the chosen IP address that has been resolved for the client.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the cache of the DNS proxy stores the chosen IP address along with an uplink identifier in the format of a tuple.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the SDWAN scheduler installs SDWAN rules to choose the best uplink.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the chosen IP address does not currently have a highest service quality.

Assignees

• Fortinet Inc

Inventors

• Yu Kun
• Wei Yanheng

Classifications

• H04L61/4511 Primary

  using domain name system [DNS] · CPC title

• H04L61/5007 Primary

  Internet protocol [IP] addresses · CPC title

• H04L67/56

  Provisioning of proxy services (store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54) · CPC title

• H04L61/5046

  Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses (testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092) · CPC title

• H04L61/59

  using proxies for addressing · CPC title