Patent ID: 7089325

Claim:
A URL processing system, comprising: a first URL forwarding web server adapted to receive requests for first and second URLs and return first and second messages responsive to the first and second URL requests, the first and second URL requests each resolving to a first IP address of the first web server according to a domain name system; a file server accessible by the first URL forwarding web server, the file server adapted to store a plurality of files corresponding to a plurality of URLs, each of the plurality of files storing URL forwarding information for each corresponding URL, the URL forwarding information associating the plurality of URLs with a plurality of IP addresses so that the file server returns destination IP addresses different from IP addresses to which each corresponding URL resolves according to the domain name system, the file server respectively selecting first and second files from the plurality of files in response to the first URL forwarding web server receiving the first and second URL requests, the first file storing a first destination IP address of a first destination server and the second file storing a second destination IP address of a second destination server, the first URL forwarding web server returning the first destination IP address as at least a part of the first message in response to the first URL request and returning the second destination IP address as at least a part of the second message in response to the second URL request, responses to the first and second URL requests respectively served from the first and second destination servers; and a second web server associated with the file server, the second web server adapted to receive a request to alter the first destination IP address within the first file to a third destination IP address for a third destination server different from the first destination server, the first and the third destination IP addresses different from the IP address to which the first URL resolves according to the domain name system, so that the first URL forwarding web server returns the third destination IP address in response to the first URL request after the request to alter is completed wherein the request to alter is provided through a domain management interface having a process for authenticating a user's right to alter contents of the first file.