Existent domain name dns traffic capture and analysis

Abstract

Systems and methods for scoring a domain web traffic based on DNS traffic requests received at an authoritative name server to resolve the domain name. A request to resolve the domain name is received at an authoritative name server. A counter, such as a server counter or a hit counter, for the domain name is incremented based on the received request. A score, such as a domain traffic score or a domain rank, is calculated based upon a count of the counter. Calculating the score may also include applying a weighting factor to the counters based on information about a requesting set of resolvers and other domains/websites that may be linking and driving traffic to the domain whose traffic score is being calculated. Examples of relevant set of resolvers information may include location, traffic levels, traffic type and architecture of the set of resolvers.

1 . An automated method for scoring a query, comprising:
 receiving at a DNS name server a query comprising one or more character strings;   incrementing one or more server counters for the one or more character strings; and   calculating a traffic score for the query based upon the one or more server counters,   wherein, calculating the traffic score includes applying a weighting factor to the one or more server counters based on information about a requesting set of resolvers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more server counters is limited to one count for a particular requesting set of resolvers in a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising incrementing a hit counter each time the DNS name server receives a query,
 wherein, calculating the traffic score is further based upon the hit counter.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the weighting factor is based on a geographical location of the requesting set of resolvers. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the weighting factor is based on at least one of a network traffic level and a network traffic type of the requesting set of resolvers. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the weighting factor is based on an architecture of the requesting set of resolvers. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 judging whether the query is initiated by a user; and   determining the weighting factor based on the judgment.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 automatically calculating traffic scores for a plurality of queries serviced by the DNS name server;   automatically ranking the plurality of queries based on the traffic scores; and   determining an advertising rate for at least one of the queries based on the rank of the at least one query.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein queries that include a “www” string are counted separately from queries that do not include a “www” string. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a count of the queries including the “www” string are weighted differently in the calculation than a count of the queries not including the “www” string. 
     
     
         11 . A system for scoring a query, comprising:
 a processor;   a memory programmed with computer-executable code that causes the processor to perform a method comprising:
 receiving at a DNS name server a query comprising one or more character strings; 
 incrementing a one or more server counter counters for the one or more character strings; and 
 calculating a traffic score for the query based upon the one or more server counters, 
 wherein, calculating the traffic score includes applying a weighting factor to the one or more server counters based on information about a requesting set of resolvers. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more server counters is limited to one count for a particular requesting set of resolvers in a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising incrementing a hit counter each time the DNS name server receives a query, wherein, calculating the traffic score is further based upon the hit counter. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the weighting factor is based on a geographical location of the requesting set of resolvers. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the weighting factor is based on at least one of a network traffic level and a network traffic type of the requesting set of resolvers. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the weighting factor is based on architecture of the requesting set of resolvers. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 judging whether the query is initiated by a user; and   determining the weighting factor based on the judgment.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 automatically calculating traffic scores for a plurality of queries serviced by the DNS name server;   automatically ranking the plurality of queries based on the traffic scores; and   determining an advertising rate for at least one of the queries based on the rank of the at least one query.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein queries that include a “www” string are counted separately from queries that do not include a “www” string. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein a count of the queries including the “www” string are weighted differently in the calculation than a count of the queries not including the “www” string. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause one or more processors to perform a method for scoring a query, the method comprising:
 receiving at a DNS name server a query comprising one or more character strings;   incrementing one or more server counters for the one or more character strings; and   calculating a traffic score for the query based upon the one or more server counters,   wherein, calculating the traffic score includes applying a weighting factor to the one or more server counters based on information about a requesting set of resolvers.   
     
     
         22 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the one ore more server counters is limited to one count for a particular requesting set of resolvers in a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         23 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , further comprising incrementing a hit counter each time the name server receives a query, wherein, calculating the traffic score is further based upon the hit counter. 
     
     
         24 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the weighting factor is based on a geographical location of the requesting set of resolvers. 
     
     
         25 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the weighting factor is based on at least one of a network traffic level and a network traffic type of the requesting set of resolvers. 
     
     
         26 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the weighting factor is based on architecture of the requesting set of resolvers. 
     
     
         27 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 judging whether the query is initiated by a user; and   determining the weighting factor based on the judgment.   
     
     
         28 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 automatically calculating traffic scores for a plurality of queries serviced by the DNS name server;   automatically ranking the plurality of queries based on the traffic scores; and   determining an advertising rate for at least one of the queries based on the rank of the at least one query.   
     
     
         29 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein queries that include a “www” string are counted separately from queries that do not include a “www” string. 
     
     
         30 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 29 , wherein a count of the queries including the “www” string are weighted differently in the calculation than a count of the queries not including the “www” string.