Client-Controlled DNS Resolution via Policy Statements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional DNS resolution mechanisms do not provide clients with sufficient control over how DNS servers interpret client data, leading to inconsistencies in selecting Internet resources based on client preferences such as geographic location, security posture, and other criteria.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where clients can attach a policy statement to DNS queries, which is executed by DNS servers to generate a query state, allowing clients to unambiguously configure the DNS resolution process and ensure that DNS servers respond according to their preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If DNS servers customize the resolution process based on inferred client policies, then the DNS resolution process can be optimized for geographic proximity, but the client loses control over how DNS servers interpret client data and select Internet resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the client explicitly provides policy instructions through the EDNS-client-subnet option, and the DNS server responds by executing those specific policies. This feedback loop ensures that the client's intended preferences are actually implemented, resolving the contradiction between automated optimization and client control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of client data representation from implicit IP address-based inference to explicit policy statement encoding. By transforming client data into structured policy parameters that directly specify desired behavior, the system enables both optimized resolution and precise client control simultaneously.
2Speed
If DNS servers use EDNS-client-subnet to determine client location and select geographically closest resources, then resolution speed is improved, but clients with heightened security posture cannot enforce their preference for same-country resource selection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the DNS resolution process dynamic by allowing the policy statements to be executed differently based on the specific client requirements. The same EDNS-client-subnet mechanism can serve both speed optimization and security-compliant resource selection, depending on the executed policy statements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the policy execution into distinct steps: receiving the EDNS-client-subnet option, determining the client's network prefix, and then executing specific policy statements that may or may not use geographic proximity. This segmentation allows the system to prioritize different factors based on client needs.
3Extent of automation
If conventional DNS mechanisms rely on server-side interpretation of client data, then the DNS server can autonomously optimize resolution, but the client cannot unambiguously configure the resolution process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces policy statements as an intermediary layer between the client and the DNS server's resolution logic. These policy statements serve as unambiguous instructions that mediate between the client's preferences and the server's automated execution, eliminating interpretation discrepancies.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a domain name system (DNS) server processes a DNS query based on a policy statement that is attached to the DNS query. Upon receiving the DNS query, the DNS server executes one or more commands specified in the policy statement to generate a query state. The query state controls DNS resolution behavior that the DNS server implements as part of processing the DNS query. The DNS server then performs one or more DNS resolution operations based on DNS query and the query state to generate a response. Advantageously, because the semantics of the policy statement are encapsulated within the policy statement, the policy statement enables a client to unambiguously control DNS resolution behavior. By contrast, conventional DNS resolution guidance mechanisms that rely on DNS servers to infer policies based on client data may not reflect the preferences of the clients.