Hardware accelerator for a domain name server cache

1. A system for a hardware accelerator for a domain name server (DNS) lookup, comprising:

a domain name server (DNS) cache;

a processor configured to:

store a plurality of entries in the DNS cache, comprising:

receive a DNS reply including an entry to be stored;

determine whether a time to live (TTL) parameter of the received entry is less than a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than 0;

in the event that the TTL parameter of the received entry is less than the second threshold value, omit storing the received entry in the DNS cache;

determine whether the time to live (TTL) parameter of the received entry is greater than a third threshold value, the third threshold value being greater than or equal to each of a first threshold value and the second threshold value; and

in the event that the TTL parameter of the received entry is greater than the third threshold value:

reduce the TTL parameter of the received entry to correspond to the third threshold value; and

store the received entry with the reduced TTL parameter;

periodically perform a pre-fetch process on the plurality of entries stored in the DNS cache, wherein the performing of the pre-fetch process comprises:

for each of the plurality of entries, determine whether a TTL parameter associated with a corresponding entry stored in the DNS cache is below the first threshold value;

in the event that the TTL parameter associated with the corresponding entry stored in the DNS cache is below the first threshold value, mark the corresponding entry; and

for each marked entry, update the each marked entry in the DNS cache, wherein the updated entry comprises an updated TTL value and an updated Internet Protocol (IP) address;

execute a packet processing engine of a host device to identify a DNS request; and

perform a DNS lookup in the DNS cache, wherein the performing of the pre-fetch process is separate from the performing of the DNS lookup; and

perform cache management on the DNS cache, comprising to:

determine whether an entry in the DNS cache satisfies a least frequently used (LFU) algorithm; and

in the event that the entry satisfies the LFU algorithm, remove the entry from the DNS cache, wherein a TTL of each entry in the DNS cache is less than or equal to the third threshold value; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the system is implemented on a network interface card.

3. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: apply a security filter to a DNS query.

4. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: determine if a DNS query matches an access control list (ACL).

5. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: determine if a DNS query matches a black list entry.

6. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: perform cache management on the DNS cache.

7. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: perform cache management on the DNS cache using a least recently used (replacement) algorithm.

8. A method for a hardware accelerator for a domain name server (DNS) cache, comprising:

storing a plurality of entries in the DNS cache, comprising:

receiving a DNS reply including an entry to be stored;

determining whether a time to live (TTL) parameter of the received entry is less than a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than 0;

in the event that the TTL parameter of the received entry is less than the second threshold value, omitting storing the received entry in the DNS cache;

determining whether the time to live (TTL) parameter of the received entry is greater than a third threshold value, the third threshold value being greater than or equal to each of a first threshold value and the second threshold value; and

in the event that the TTL parameter of the received entry is greater than the third threshold value:

reducing the TTL parameter of the received entry to correspond to the third threshold value; and

storing the received entry with the reduced TTL parameter;

periodically performing a pre-fetch process on the plurality of entries stored in the DNS cache, wherein the performing of the pre-fetch process comprises:

for each of the plurality of entries, determining whether a TTL parameter associated with a corresponding entry stored in the DNS cache is below the first threshold value;

in the event that the TTL parameter associated with the corresponding entry stored in the DNS cache is below the first threshold value, marking the corresponding entry; and

for each marked entry, updating the each marked entry in the DNS cache, wherein the updated entry comprises an updated TTL value and an updated Internet Protocol (IP) address;

executing a packet processing engine of a host device to identify a DNS request; and

performing a DNS lookup in the DNS cache, wherein the performing of the pre-fetch process is separate from the performing of the DNS lookup; and

performing cache management on the DNS cache, comprising:

determining whether an entry in the DNS cache satisfies a least frequently used (LFU) algorithm; and

in the event that the entry satisfies the LFU algorithm, removing the entry from the DNS cache, wherein a TTL of each entry in the DNS cache is less than or equal to the third threshold value.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the DNS cache is implemented on a network interface card.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

applying a security filter to a DNS query.

11. A computer program product for a hardware accelerator for a domain name server (DNS) cache, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

storing a plurality of entries in the DNS cache, comprising:

receiving a DNS reply including an entry to be stored;

determining whether a time to live (TTL) parameter of the received entry is less than a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than 0;

in the event that the TTL parameter of the received entry is less than the second threshold value, omitting storing the received entry in the DNS cache;

determining whether the time to live (TTL) parameter of the received entry is greater than a third threshold value, the third threshold value being greater than or equal to each of a first threshold value and the second threshold value; and

in the event that the TTL parameter of the received entry is greater than the third threshold value:

reducing the TTL parameter of the received entry to correspond to the third threshold value; and

storing the received entry with the reduced TTL parameter;

periodically performing a pre-fetch process on the plurality of entries stored in the DNS cache, wherein the performing of the pre-fetch process comprises:

for each of the plurality of entries, determining whether a TTL parameter associated with a corresponding entry stored in the DNS cache is below the first threshold value;

in the event that the TTL parameter associated with the corresponding entry stored in the DNS cache is below the first threshold value, marking the corresponding entry; and

for each marked entry, updating the each marked entry in the DNS cache, wherein the updated entry comprises an updated TTL value and an updated Internet Protocol (IP) address;

executing a packet processing engine of a host device to identify a DNS request; and

performing a DNS lookup in the DNS cache, wherein the performing of the pre-fetch process is separate from the performing of the DNS lookup; and

performing cache management on the DNS cache, comprising:

determining whether an entry in the DNS cache satisfies a least frequently used (LFU) algorithm; and

in the event that the entry satisfies the LFU algorithm, removing the entry from the DNS cache, wherein a TTL of each entry in the DNS cache is less than or equal to the third threshold value.