Registrar Proxy SSL Automation for Third-Party Hosting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Domain name registrants face challenges in setting up Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption for third-party hosting services, as they must complete certificate signing requests and install SSL certificates, which can be complex and require premium pricing from hosting services that may not allow vanity domain names or SSL encryption.
Innovation Solution
A system where a domain name registrar, equipped with a domain name registration function, customer accounts, a certificate authority function, nameservers, and proxy servers, automatically issues and installs SSL certificates on a proxy server, allowing users to communicate securely with third-party hosting services using vanity domain names, without requiring the registrant to perform these steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If domain name registrants manually complete certificate signing requests and install SSL certificates themselves, then they can obtain SSL encryption for their domain names, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a domain name registrar as an intermediary between the domain name registrant and the SSL certificate authority. The registrar automatically generates certificate signing requests, obtains SSL certificates, and installs them on behalf of the registrant, eliminating the need for manual intervention and simplifying the process while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service automation where the domain name registrar automatically performs SSL certificate management tasks without requiring manual input from the domain name registrant. The registrar's system autonomously completes certificate signing requests, receives certificates, and installs them, making the process efficient and user-friendly.
2Reliability
If domain name registrants use third-party hosting services for SSL certificates, then they can obtain encryption services, but they face restrictions on vanity domain names and may incur premium pricing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the SSL certificate management process into separate functions: domain name registration, certificate authority operations, and hosting services. This allows the domain name registrant to maintain control over their vanity domain name through the registrar while obtaining SSL certificates independently, without being constrained by third-party hosting service policies.
Solution Approach 2:
The domain name registrar performs multiple functions including domain registration, DNS management, and SSL certificate issuance. This multi-functionality enables the registrant to use their vanity domain name with SSL encryption across different hosting services without being locked into a single provider's restrictions or pricing models.
3Ease of operation
If the domain name registrar automatically manages SSL certificates, then the process is simplified for registrants, but the registrar must integrate multiple functions including certificate authority and proxy server capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the domain name registrar system: domain registration, DNS management, certificate authority operations, and proxy server capabilities. This integration allows the registrar to automatically manage SSL certificates end-to-end, simplifying the user experience while consolidating system complexity within the registrar's infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A domain name registrar may provide a service for a domain name registrant to automatically and without further action by the domain name registrant (other than possibly paying for the service) enable secure socket layer (SSL) for a domain name to a third party hosting service, even when the domain name registrar does not own or control the third party hosting service. The invention allows a user (that may or may not be the domain name registrant) to use the domain name registered to the domain name registrant to communicate with a domain name registrant account (possibly a website) on the third party hosting service via a proxy server. The communication between the user and the proxy server may be encrypted such as by the SSL protocol.