Edge Proxy Selection via DNS Resolver Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

The current Domain Name System (DNS) often selects an edge proxy server based on the geographical location of the domain name resolver rather than the user device, leading to higher latency in content delivery due to the masking of user device IP addresses, especially when the experimental EDNS is not supported.

Innovation Solution

A system and process that involves three phases to select an edge proxy server by determining the geographical location of user devices and edge proxy servers, using a nanovisor client to obtain a unique identification token, encoding it into a domain name, and creating a mapping between resolvers and user devices to calculate a transformed geographical location for optimized proxy server selection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the DNS selects an edge proxy server based on the geographical location of the domain name resolver, then the proxy server selection process is simple, but the content delivery latency increases because the selected proxy may not be closest to the user device

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproxy server selection processVSAvoidcontent delivery latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by encoding the user device's IP address into a domain name query before the actual proxy selection. This allows the authoritative name server to determine the user's geographical location in advance and select the optimal edge proxy server before content delivery begins, thus reducing latency while maintaining selection simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the user device's IP address is encoded into a domain name, which then serves as a mediator to convey location information to the authoritative name server. This intermediary allows the system to bridge the gap between the resolver-based selection and user-based optimization without fundamentally changing the DNS protocol.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If the user device IP address is masked by the domain name resolver, then the DNS query privacy is protected, but the ability to determine user location for optimal proxy selection is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser IP address privacyVSAvoiduser location determination accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by encoding only the necessary portion of the user IP address (the geolocation-relevant part) into the domain_name query, rather than exposing the entire IP address. This allows location determination while maintaining privacy protection for other IP address components that are not needed for geographical routing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation by transforming the user IP address into an encoded domain_name format. This parameter transformation allows the authoritative_name server to extract location information without receiving or storing the original IP address, thus maintaining privacy while enabling accurate location-based proxy selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If the experimental EDNS protocol is not supported, then DNS compatibility is maintained, but the encoding of user device IP address into domain name for location determination cannot be performed

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveDNS protocol compatibilityVSAvoiduser device location detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of trying to extend the DNS protocol to carry additional location information (which would require EDNS support), the patent inverts the approach by encoding the IP address into the domain_name itself using standard DNS mechanisms. This allows location detection to work around the lack of EDNS support while maintaining full DNS compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS10432576B2User device to domain name resolver mapping

Publication Date: 2019.10.01 AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES INC

AI summary

A method of selecting an edge proxy server to serve web contents to user devices is disclosed. Domain name system (DNS) queries from a domain name resolver are received. A mapping between the domain name resolver and a corresponding list of user devices served by the domain name resolver are created based on the received DNS queries. A transformed geographical location representing the domain name resolver is determined based on the mapping. An edge proxy server is selected in response to a future DNS query received from the domain name resolver based at least in part on the transformed geographical location of the domain name resolver.