Airborne DNS Cache Peering for Low-RTT Domain Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airborne clients experience significant DNS lookup delays due to large round trip times (RTT) in over-the-air (OTA) communications, which affect the performance of DNS services, particularly in environments with shorter DNS cache time-to-live (TTL) values and less efficient caching on airborne servers compared to ground-based servers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an intelligent DNS cache peering system between ground-based and airborne DNS servers using DNS peer engine servers and clients, which multicast DNS lookup responses to airborne servers, and optionally using a ground-based shadow browser to pre-resolve URLs, thereby enhancing caching efficiency and reducing the need for OTA lookups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If DNS lookup requests are sent over-the-air (OTA) to ground-based DNS servers, then DNS services can be provided to airborne clients, but the large round trip times (RTT) cause slower response times and degraded performance
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary DNS lookups on the ground before the airborne client needs the information. Ground-based DNS servers resolve domain names in advance, and the results are made available to airborne clients through alternative communication paths, eliminating the need for time-consuming OTA DNS requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where ground-based infrastructure performs DNS resolution and caches results, which are then delivered to airborne clients through non-OTA channels. This intermediary ground-based system acts as a buffer, providing DNS services without requiring real-time OTA communication.
2Reliability
If DNS cache time-to-live (TTL) values are shortened to improve cache freshness, then more up-to-date DNS information is available, but the frequency of DNS lookup requests increases, exacerbating the RTT problem
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary DNS lookups on the ground before the airborne client needs the information. Ground-based DNS servers resolve domain names in advance, and the results are made available to airborne clients through alternative communication paths, eliminating the need for time-consuming OTA DNS requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes continuous DNS resolution operations on the ground, where DNS servers continuously resolve and update records. This continuous ground-based operation ensures that when airborne clients need DNS information, it is already available without requiring frequent OTA requests, maintaining both freshness and reducing request frequency.
3Loss of time
If airborne DNS servers implement caching to reduce lookup times, then local DNS resolution is improved, but caching efficiency is lower compared to ground-based servers, requiring more OTA lookups
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the DNS caching functionality of airborne servers with ground-based DNS infrastructure. By combining these systems, the solution leverages the larger cache capacity and higher efficiency of ground-based servers while maintaining local resolution capabilities, thereby reducing the need for OTA lookups without compromising airborne DNS service.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground-based DNS servers perform multiple functions: they serve as authoritative DNS servers, act as caching servers for airborne clients, and provide pre-resolution services. This multi-functional approach allows a single ground-based infrastructure to handle both traditional DNS duties and airborne client support, improving overall system efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus to decrease DNS lookup times for mobile clients are disclosed. An example DNS cache peering system includes a mobile DNS cache; a mobile DNS server configured to, when an IP address for a URL is not found in the DNS cache, send a DNS lookup request for the URL; a ground-based DNS server to receive the DNS lookup request from the mobile DNS server, and send, in response, a DNS lookup response including the IP address for the URL to the mobile DNS server; and a ground-based DNS peer engine server configured to capture the DNS lookup response, and multicast DNS information from the DNS lookup response to a plurality of mobile DNS peer engine clients, wherein the plurality of mobile DNS peer engine clients are configured to store the DNS information in respective ones of a plurality of mobile DNS caches.