Patent ID: 7228359

Claim:
A content distribution system, comprising: a domain name service server which is configured to provide domain name service responses in response to domain name service requests; and a data communications device which is capable of interconnecting between a client and the domain name service server, wherein the data communications device includes: an interface which is capable of communicating with the client, and a controller coupled to the interface, wherein the controller is configured to: intercept a first domain name service request from the client, the first domain name service request including a domain name field having first contents being solely a host domain name that that can be resolved into a corresponding network address, determine that the host domain name in the domain name field of the first domain name service request is included in a list of domain names associated with corresponding content servers, provide a second domain name service request to the domain name service server through the interface in response to interception of the first domain name service request, the second domain name service request having a modified domain name field, the modified domain name field including a concatenated value including the host domain name as well as a client identifier identifying the client, such that the concatenated value does not represent a domain name that can be resolved to a network address, and convey a domain name service response from the domain name service server to the client through the interface, the domain name service response including a content server identifier which identifies one of the content servers.