Patent ID: 8473635

Claim:
Apparatus for provisioning DNS canonical names in a distributed network on behalf of given entities that use the distributed network, wherein the distributed network is managed by a service provider and includes a set of one or more name servers, comprising: a hardware processor; computer memory storing comprising program instructions executed by the hardware processor; a first subsystem comprising a SOAP management server, an associated database, and a web portal including a graphical user interface, by which given entities that use the distributed network identify canonical name change requests, the SOAP management server having an associated SOAP application programming interface (API) that exports a set of methods that enable a given entity, using the graphical user interface and without direct involvement by the service provider, to create, delete and/or edit a canonical name for use in the distributed network, wherein a given canonical name change request is associated with a given action selected from a set of actions that include creating, editing and deleting canonical names that are used in the distributed network, the management server responsive to the given creating action (i) to automatically associate a service provider-defined map to a hostname associated with the given canonical change request and (ii) to generate a canonical name entry that maps the hostname to the service provider-defined map; and a second subsystem in communication with the first subsystem for receiving from the first subsystem given information in the form of XML configuration files and, upon validation, for converting the given information into one or more DNS zone files, and for installing the DNZ zone files to the one or more name servers, the given information including the canonical name entry.