Selecting between domain name system servers of a plurality of networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9531664-B2
Application number	US-201514872181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2015
Priority date	May 23, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Managing domain name system services for a plurality of networks is disclosed. A computer identifies information for the plurality of networks to which a client device is connected. The computer receives a request to identify a domain name. In response to the request, the computer selects a particular set of domain name system servers of a particular network in the plurality of networks based on the information for the plurality of networks and a set of rules for selecting the particular set of domain name system servers when identifying the domain name for the Internet protocol address. The computer then sends the request to identify the domain name for the Internet protocol address to a domain name system server in the particular set of domain name system servers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing domain name system services for a plurality of networks, the method comprising:
identifying, by one or more processor units, information for the plurality of networks to which a client device is connected, the information for each network in the plurality of networks including a set of private domains, a set of domain name system servers for use in searching for Internet protocol addresses for domain names, and a set of routes, wherein the set of routes is a routing table, and wherein each route in the set of routes comprises a destination and a gateway, and electronic communications to the destination occur through the gateway;
receiving, by the one or more processor units, a request to identify a domain name for an Internet protocol address;
responsive to not having a cached answer for the request to identify the domain name for the Internet protocol address, determining, by the one or more processor units, to which domain name system servers of which network in the plurality of networks to send the request to identify the domain name for the Internet protocol address, using the information for the plurality of networks and a set of rules, wherein the set of rules, for selecting a particular set of domain name system servers when identifying the domain name for the Internet protocol address, includes a rule for selecting the particular set of domain name system servers for a particular network based on matches between portions of the Internet protocol address in the request and portions of destinations in the set of routes for each network in the plurality of networks;
selecting, by the one or more processor units, the particular network as a subset of the plurality of networks and the particular set of domain name system servers of the particular network using the information for the plurality of networks and the set of rules for selecting the particular set of domain name system servers when identifying the domain name for the Internet protocol address, wherein selecting, by the one or more processor units, the particular set of domain name system servers of the particular network in the plurality of networks further comprises:
identifying, by the one or more processor units, a subset of networks in plurality of networks that comprise at least one destination in the set of routes for a respective network that matches a largest number of portions of the Internet protocol address in the request; and
responsive to the subset of networks comprising only one network, selecting, by the one or more processor units, a respective set of domain name system servers of the one network in the subset of networks as the particular set of domain name system servers of the particular network; and

sending, by the one or more processor units, the request to identify the domain name for the Internet protocol address to a domain name system server in the particular set of domain name system servers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request, by the one or more processor units, to identify the domain name for the Internet protocol address further comprises intercepting the request on the client device before the request has been sent to any domain name system servers.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein an interception of the request prevents the client device from sending the request to any domain name system servers that are not in the particular set of domain name system servers of the particular network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of networks is a number of logical networks comprising a number of virtual private networks and number of public networks.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the domain name is a fully qualified domain name.

6. A computer program product for managing domain name system services for a plurality of networks, the computer program product comprising program instructions stored on a computer readable storage device, for execution by a computer, the program instructions further comprising program instructions for:
identifying information for the plurality of networks to which a client device is connected, the information for each network in the plurality of networks including a set of private domains, a set of domain name system servers for use in searching for Internet protocol addresses for domain names, and a set of routes, wherein the set of routes is a routing table, and wherein each route in the set of routes comprises a destination and a gateway, and electronic communications to the destination occur through the gateway;
receiving a request to identify a domain name for an Internet protocol address;
responsive to not having a cached answer for the request to identify the domain name for the Internet protocol address, for determining to which domain name system servers of which network in the plurality of networks to send the request to identify the domain name for the Internet protocol address, using the information for the plurality of networks and a set of rules, wherein the set of rules, for selecting a particular set of domain name system servers when identifying the domain name for the Internet protocol address, includes a rule for selecting the particular set of domain name system servers for the particular network based on matches between portions of the Internet protocol address in the request and portions of destinations in the set of routes for each network in the plurality of networks;
selecting a particular network as a subset of the plurality of networks and the particular set of domain name system servers of the particular network using the information for the plurality of networks and the set of rules for selecting the particular set of domain name system servers when identifying the domain name for the Internet protocol address, wherein selecting the particular set of domain name system servers of the particular network in the plurality of networks further comprises:
identifying a subset of networks in plurality of networks that comprise at least one destination in the set of routes for the respective network that matches a largest number of portions of the Internet protocol address in the request; and
responsive to the subset of networks comprising only one network, selecting the respective set of domain name system servers of the one network in the subset of networks as the particular set of domain name system servers of the particular network; and

sending the request to identify the domain name for the Internet protocol address to a domain name system server in the particular set of domain name system servers.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions for receiving the request to identify the domain name for the Internet protocol address further comprise program instructions for intercepting the request on the client device before the request has been sent to any domain name system servers.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions for intercepting the request prevent the client device from sending the request to any domain name system servers that are not in the particular set of domain name system servers of the particular network.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of networks is a number of logical networks comprising a number of virtual private networks and number of public networks.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the domain name is a fully qualified domain name.

11. An apparatus for managing domain name system services for a plurality of networks, the apparatus comprising:
a bus;
a memory, having program instructions stored thereon, connected to the bus;

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Smith Paul D
• Stenzel Harley A

Classifications

• H04L43/04

  Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation · CPC title

• H04L61/1511 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/1552

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L61/4552 Primary

  Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories · CPC title

• H04L61/4511 Primary

  using domain name system [DNS] · CPC title