Systems, Apparatus and Method For Hosting and Assigning Domain Names On A Wide Network

Abstract

Embodiments of the instant invention are directed to a domain management system, apparatus and method for hosting and assigning domain names. Embodiments of the domain management system comprise a name assignment system and a hosting system, wherein the hosting system comprises a domain retrieval system and a data storage apparatus. The name assignment system verifies availability and assigns domain names to requesting clients. The name assignment system comprises an input component, a confirmation mechanism and a name storage means. Preferred embodiments of the domain retrieval system comprise a scheduler, a parsing member having a plurality of redirectors and a plurality of servers. The domain retrieval system locates the domain referenced by the domain name by parsing header information and utilizing a wildcard DNS. Once the domain is located, the domain retrieval system forwards the domain to the user computer.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a host computing device, a content request comprising a requested address, wherein the requested address comprises:
 a host name corresponding to the host computing device, and 
 a content label in a wildcard portion of the requested address; 
   determining a content address corresponding to the content label; and   providing the content address in response to the content request.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wildcard portion of the requested address is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 configuring a zone file of a domain name server to provide an address of the host computing device based on the requested address having the wildcard portion.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 configuring the zone file to provide a different address based on an additional requested address without a wildcard portion.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content request is made in an HTTP request. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a redirected content request comprising the content address; and   responding to the redirected content request by serving content located at the content address.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the content address comprises providing the content address as a frame target. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the content address corresponding to the content label comprises using a redirector to determine the content address corresponding to the content label. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving, by the host computing device, the content request comprises receiving the content request by a scheduler of the host computing device, the scheduler configured to select a redirector from a set of redirectors to handle the determining and providing the content address. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to register the content label; and   associating the content label with the content address.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable storage device having computer program logic recorded thereon, execution of which, by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising;
 receiving a content request comprising a requested address, wherein the requested address comprises:
 a host name corresponding to a host computing device, and 
 a content label in a wildcard portion of the requested address; 
   determining a content address corresponding to the content label; and   providing the content address in response to the content request.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the wildcard portion of the requested address is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
 configuring a zone file of a domain name server to provide an address of the host computing device based on the requested address having the wildcard portion.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 13 , the operations further comprising:
 configuring the zone file to provide a different address based on an additional requested address without a wildcard portion.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the content request is made in an HTTP request. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving a redirected content request comprising the content address; and   responding to the redirected content request by serving content located at the content address.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 11 , wherein providing the content address comprises providing the content address as a frame target. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 11 , wherein determining the content address corresponding to the content label comprises using a redirector to determine the content address corresponding to the content label. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 11 , wherein receiving the content request comprises receiving the content request by a scheduler, the scheduler configured to select a redirector from a set of redirectors to handle the determining and providing the content address. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving a request to register the content label; and   associating the content label with the content address.   
     
     
         21 . A system comprising:
 a memory configured to store instructions comprising:
 instructions to receive a content request comprising a requested address, wherein the requested address comprises:
 a host name corresponding to a host computing device, and 
 a content label in a wildcard portion of the requested address, 
 
 instructions to determine a content address corresponding to the content label, and 
 instructions to provide the content address in response to the content request; and 
   one or more processors configured to process the instructions.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the wildcard portion of the requested address is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 instructions to configure a zone file of a domain name server to provide an address of the host computing device based on the requested address having the wildcard portion.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 instructions to configure the zone file to provide a different address based on an additional requested address without a wildcard portion.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the content request is made in an HTTP request. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 instructions to receive a redirected content request comprising the content address; and   instructions to respond to the redirected content request by serving content located at the content address.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein providing the content address comprises providing the content address as a frame target. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein determining the content address corresponding to the content label comprises using a redirector to determine the content address corresponding to the content label. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein receiving, by the host computing device, the content request comprises receiving the content request by a scheduler of the host computing device, the scheduler configured to select a redirector from a set of redirectors to handle the determining and providing the content address. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 instructions to receive a request to register the content label; and   instructions to associate the content label with the content address.   
     
     
         31 . A system comprising:
 a host computing device comprising a scheduler, the scheduler configured to receive a content request comprising a requested address, wherein the requested address comprises:
 a host name corresponding to the host computing device, and 
 a content label in a wildcard portion of the requested address; and 
   a redirector configured to determine a content address corresponding to the content label and to provide the content address in response to the content request.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the wildcard portion of the requested address is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a domain name server comprising a zone file, the zone file configured to provide an address of the host computing device based on the requested address having the wildcard portion.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the zone file is further configured to provide a different address based on an additional requested address without a wildcard portion. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the scheduler is configured to receive the content request in an HTTP request. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a content storage device configured to receive a redirected content request comprising the content address and to respond to the redirected content request by serving content located at the content address.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the redirector is configured to provide the content address as a frame target. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the scheduler is configured to select the redirector from a set of redirectors to handle the determining and providing the content address. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the host computing device is farther configured to receive a request to register the content label and to associate the content label with the content address.