Patent ID: 7600042

Claim:
In a messaging system including a message server, a method of the message server maintaining a domain name server record for a domain name of the message server, the domain name having a dynamic IP address, wherein the value of dynamic IP address can change causing a DNS record for the domain name to be incorrectly mapped to a computer system other than the message server, the method including acts of: the message server automatically determining that the value of the dynamic IP address for the domain is no longer appropriately mapped to the domain name corresponding to the message server, including: the message server identifying the domain name corresponding to the message server; the message server sending a connection request addressed to the domain name, the connection request sent to the domain name to determine if the message server receives back the connection request, receiving back the connection request indicating that a previously assigned value for the dynamic IP address is appropriately mapped to the domain name in the DNS record for the domain name, sending the connection request being an attempt by the message server to send the connection request to the message server itself to determine if the previously assigned value assigned to the dynamic IP address has changed; and after a predetermined time without receiving the connection request at the message server, determining that the previously assigned value of the dynamic IP address corresponding to the domain name has changed; the message server determining a new value for the dynamic IP address corresponding to the domain name; the message server sending the new value for the dynamic IP address to a registrar for updating the DNS record for the domain name such that messages are appropriately routed to the message server when messages are sent to the domain name, the registrar previously selected from among a plurality of registrars retrieved by an automatic configuration tool from a centralized database, the centralized database for a top-level domain in which the domain name is included.