Application verification for hosted services
View Patent ↗In a client-server environment providing hosted services, an application service server receives from a client a first request for hosted services associated with a user-specified domain name. If the server does not provide hosted services for that domain name, the server designates the first request as pending and provides a limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request. The server provides a complete set of the hosted services requested in the first request if it can be established that a first user associated with the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the domain-name. In some embodiments, the server denies the first request and cancels the limited services if it is not shown within a predetermined period of time that the first user has the appropriate authority.
1. A computer-implemented method performed at a server system having one or more processors and memory, the method comprising:
receiving a first request for hosted services associated with a user-specified domain name that designates a network domain;
if the hosted services are not being provided for the user-specified domain name, prior to establishing that a first user associated with the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, designating the first request as pending and providing a limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, wherein the limited set of the hosted services is a nonempty subset of a complete set of hosted services for the user-specified domain name;
conducting a screening process for the user-specified domain name, said conducting including evaluating whether the user-specified domain name includes any terms from a predefined set of terms;
providing the complete set of the hosted services in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process; and
after first providing the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request:
receiving a second request for hosted services associated with the user-specified domain name that designates the network domain;
providing the complete set of the hosted services in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the second request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process; and
terminating the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request includes:
enabling an applicant of the first request to create a set of user accounts; and
enabling a user associated with one of the user accounts to log into the user account and view digital contents associated with the user account.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the complete set of hosted services, but not the limited set of hosted services, includes associating a second user-specified domain name with the hosted services provided for the user-specified domain name.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the applicant of the first request is determined to have appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name in accordance with detection that a predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name has been updated by the applicant in a predefined manner.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name comprises a mail exchange record for the user-specified domain name.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a set of hosted services comprises services for at least one administrator account and multiple regular user accounts.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
suspending, without terminating, the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established within a predetermined period of time that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
terminating the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established, within a second predetermined period of time, that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, wherein the second predetermined period of time is longer than the first predetermined period of time.
9. A computer system, comprising:
memory;
at least one processor; and
at least one program stored in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the at least one program including:
instructions for receiving a first request for establishing hosted services associated with a user-specified domain name that designates a network domain;
instructions for designating the first request as pending and providing a limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, prior to establishing that a first user associated with the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, if the hosted services are not being provided for the user-specified domain name, wherein the limited set of the hosted services is a nonempty subset of a complete set of hosted services for the user-specified domain name;
instructions for conducting a screening process for the user-specified domain name, said conducting including evaluating whether the user-specified domain name includes any terms from a predefined set of terms;
instructions for providing the complete set of the hosted services in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process;
instructions for receiving a second request, after first providing the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, the second request comprising a request for hosted services associated with the user-specified domain name that designates the network domain; and
instructions for providing the complete set of the hosted services, and terminating the limited set of the host services in association with the first request, in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the second request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process.
10. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request includes:
instructions for enabling an applicant of the first request to create a set of user accounts; and
instructions for enabling a user associated with one of the user accounts to log into the user account and view digital contents associated with the user account.
11. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the complete set of hosted services, but not the limited set of hosted services, includes associating a second user-specified domain name with the hosted services provided for the user-specified domain name.
12. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein, the applicant of the first request is determined to have appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name in accordance with detection that a predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name has been updated by the applicant in a predefined manner.
13. The computer system of claim 12 , wherein the predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name comprises a mail exchange record for the user-specified domain name.
14. The computer system of claim 9 , wherein a set of hosted services comprises services for at least one administrator account and multiple regular user accounts.
15. The computer system of claim 9 , further comprising:
instructions for suspending, without terminating, the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established within a predetermined period of time that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name.
16. The computer system of claim 15 , further comprising:
instructions for terminating the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established, within a second predetermined period of time, that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, wherein the second predetermined period of time is longer than the first predetermined period of time.
17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising:
instructions for receiving a first request for establishing hosted services associated with a user-specified domain name that designates a network domain;
instructions for designating the first request as pending and providing a limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, prior to establishing that a first user associated with the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, if the hosted services are not being provided for the user-specified domain name, wherein the limited set of the hosted services is a nonempty subset of a complete set of hosted services for the user-specified domain name;
instructions for conducting a screening process for the user-specified domain name, said conducting including evaluating whether the user-specified domain name includes any terms from a predefined set of terms;
instructions for providing the complete set of the hosted services in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process;
instructions for receiving a second request, after first providing the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, the second request comprising a request for hosted services associated with the user-specified domain name that designates the network domain; and
instructions for providing the complete set of the hosted services, and terminating the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request, in accordance with a determination that an applicant of the second request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name and that the user-specified domain name passes the screening process.
18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request includes:
instructions for enabling an applicant of the first request to create a set of user accounts; and
instructions for enabling a user associated with one of the user accounts to log into the user account and view digital contents associated with the user account.
19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the complete set of hosted services, but not the limited set of hosted services, includes associating a second user-specified domain name with the hosted services provided for the user-specified domain name.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein, the applicant of the first request is determined to have appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name in accordance with detection that a predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name has been updated by the applicant in a predefined manner.
21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the predefined administrative record for the user-specified domain name comprises a mail exchange record for the user-specified domain name.
22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein a set of hosted services comprises services for at least one administrator account and multiple regular user accounts.
23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising:
instructions for suspending, without terminating, the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established within a predetermined period of time that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name.
24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23 , further comprising:
instructions for terminating the provision of hosted services if it cannot be established, within a second predetermined period of time, that the first user associated with the first request has the appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the user-specified domain name, wherein the second predetermined period of time is longer than the first predetermined period of time.