Intermediary DNS Server IP Filtering for Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current DNS mapping systems often return a list of IP addresses with varying performance levels to end user clients, leading to inconsistent latency and sub-optimal content server selection, as they lack the ability to filter or prioritize based on client-side network knowledge.
Innovation Solution
An intermediary DNS server modifies the DNS response by filtering out low-performing IP addresses, reordering the list, or applying policies based on client-side network metrics like latency, allowing for enhanced mapping and performance optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an authoritative DNS server returns all available IP addresses for a domain, then the client has more options to connect, but the latency and performance vary widely depending on which IP the client chooses
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary DNS server is introduced between the authoritative DNS server and the end user client. This intermediary receives the full set of IP addresses from the authoritative server, filters and re-ranks them based on performance metrics (such as latency measurements), and returns only the optimized subset to the client. This mediator resolves the contradiction by providing both the versatility of multiple IP options and the time efficiency of pre-filtered results.
2Loss of time
If the intermediary DNS server filters and re-ranks IP addresses based on performance metrics, then latency is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary DNS server performs preliminary actions by proactively measuring performance metrics and filtering IP addresses before the client receives the DNS response. Latency measurements are taken in advance, and the IP address list is pre-optimized based on these measurements. This preliminary action reduces the complexity burden on the client device, as the filtering and ranking work is already completed by the intermediary server before the client needs to make a connection decision.
3Quantity of substance
If the DNS system uses best effort approach returning all servers within a geographic region, then more content servers are available, but the mapping precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediary DNS server changes the parameters of the IP address list by applying performance-based filtering and re-ranking. It transforms the raw list of all available servers into an optimized list sorted by measured performance metrics such as latency. This parameter change maintains the quantity of available servers (all IPs are still technically returned, just re-ordered) while dramatically improving the precision of the mapping by ensuring the top-ranked IPs are actually the best performing ones for that specific client.
Data Source
AI summary
Among other things, this document describes systems, devices, and methods for improving the mapping of end user clients to content servers. In one embodiment, an intermediary DNS server receives a DNS answer with multiple IP addresses. The intermediary DNS server modifies this answer before passing it on to the end user client—that is the end user client that originally requested name resolution of the hostname. Modification can involve filtering the list to remove low-performing IP addresses, re-ordering the list, blocking certain IPs according to policy, or other things. The intermediary DNS server can be operated by a internet service provider (carrier) or an enterprise, for example, or provided on their behalf by a third party as a service. The modification can be based on knowledge of the client-side network, including the location and connectivity of the end user client.