Patent ID: 7610403
Filing Date: 2009-10-27
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-readable storage medium on which is recorded a program, which is read by a computer when used by the computer configuring a name retrieving device retrieving information identifying a communications node being a network device within a communications network, for causing the computer to execute a function, the function comprising: searching for the information identifying the communications node according to a name search condition into which at least one or a plurality of information effective for identifying the communications node is combined, wherein said information effective for identifying the communications node includes: a running state, a use state, positional information, information representing a characteristic of the communications node, and information representing information held by the communications node; said searching uses an expanded name database, to which a record including a first field recording said name search condition and a second field recording a communications node satisfying said name search condition, can be registered; and said second field is updated dynamically as a communication node satisfying said name search condition varies; said name database is included in a network device within the communications network; said record is an address record, wherein the name search condition is included as part of a domain name registered to the address record; said searching uses a domain name server, which is included in the network device within the communications network, searching said name database for the address record including the name search condition as the part of the domain name, and replying information identifying a communications node at a communication destination, which is registered to the address record, to a communications node at a communication source, in response to an inquiry, which is made from the communications node at the communication source, about the name search condition corresponding to the communications node at the communication destination; the address record registered to the expanded name database is a type of a resource record containing an owner field, a type field, and an RDATA field in accordance with a specification of a domain name system; the first field is the owner field; the second field is the RDATA field; an owner is specified for the inquiry by a first domain name having a first character string; a type for specifying an address record is specified for the inquiry; the first character string represents the name search condition and is defined as a reserved word; the searching comprises replying, as the information, a reply including a content of RDATA found in a resource record whose owner matches the first domain name and whose type matches the type specified; and in the expanded name database, the resource record whose owner is a domain name including the first character string is updated as a state of a node changes.