Associating a policy-based firewall with a dynamic DNS hostname

1. A computer-implemented method for associating a firewall policy with a dynamic domain name system (DNS) hostname, the method comprising:

transmitting a first request to a names server to translate a first hostname into a corresponding network address;

receiving a first network address from the names server in response to the first request;

determining that the first network address is different than a second network address that is currently associated with the first hostname;

associating the first network address with the first hostname;

updating a first firewall policy configuration that is associated with the first hostname and includes a first record associating the first hostname with the second network address by replacing the first record with a second record associating the first hostname with the first network address; and

after updating the first firewall policy configuration, transmitting a first message that includes at least a portion of the first firewall policy configuration to a recursive resolver,

wherein the recursive resolver is configured to apply at least the portion of the first firewall policy configuration to network traffic associated with the first hostname.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

retrieving a parameter that specifies a duration of time that the second network address is valid; and

waiting for the duration of time prior to transmitting the first request.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a second request to the names server to translate the first hostname into a corresponding network address;

receiving a third network address from the names server in response to the second request;

determining that the third network address is the same as the first network address; and

maintaining the second record that associates the first network address and the first hostname.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the names server is associated with a dynamic DNS provider.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the names server is configured to:

receive the first network address from a router associated with a first client device; and

in response to receiving the first network address, associate the first network address with the first hostname.

6. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to associate a firewall policy with a dynamic domain name system (DNS) hostname, by performing the steps of:

transmitting a first request to a names server to translate a first hostname into a corresponding network address;

receiving a first network address and the first hostname from the names server;

determining that the first network address is different than a second network address that is currently associated with the first hostname;

associating the first network address with the first hostname;

updating a first firewall policy configuration that is associated with the first hostname and includes a first record associating the first hostname with the second network address by replacing the first record with a second record associating the first hostname with the first network address; and

after updating the first firewall policy configuration, transmitting a first message that includes at least a portion of the first firewall policy configuration to a recursive resolver,

wherein the recursive resolver is configured to apply at least the portion of the first firewall policy configuration to network traffic associated with the first hostname.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining that the first network address is associated with a time-to-live parameter that specifies a minimum amount of time that the first network address is valid;

subsequent to receiving the first network address, waiting for a period of time specified by the time-to-live parameter; and

transmitting a second request to the names server to translate the first hostname into a corresponding network address.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving the first hostname from a client device related to the first hostname; and

modifying the first firewall policy configuration to include the first hostname.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 8 , wherein the client device is associated with a router that supports dynamic DNS.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9 , wherein the names server is associated with a dynamic DNS provider and the router is configured to:

receive the first network address from an internet services provider (ISP); and

transmit the first network address to the names server.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6 , further comprising:

retrieving a parameter that specifies a duration of time that the second network address is valid; and

waiting for the duration of time prior to transmitting the first request.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 6 , further comprising:

subsequent to receiving the first network address, waiting for a specified duration of time;

transmitting a second request to the names server to translate the first hostname into a corresponding network address;

receiving a third network address from the names server in response to the second request;

determining whether the third network address is the same as the first network address; and

if the third network address is the same as the first network address, then maintaining the second record that associates the first network address and the first hostname, or

if the third network address is not the same as the first network address, then updating the first firewall policy configuration by replacing the second record with a third record associating the first hostname with the third network address.

13. A computing device, comprising:

a memory that includes a policy configuration application; and

a processor that is coupled to the memory and, executes the policy configuration application by:

transmitting a first request to a names server to translate a first hostname into a corresponding network address;

receiving a first network address from the names server in response to the first request;

determining that the first network address is different than a second network address that is currently associated with the first hostname;

associating the first network address with the first hostname;

updating a first firewall policy configuration that is associated with the first hostname and includes a first record associating the first hostname with the second network address by replacing the first record with a second record associating the first hostname with the first network address; and

after updating the first firewall policy configuration, transmitting a first message that includes at least a portion of the first firewall policy configuration to a recursive resolver,

wherein the recursive resolver is configured to apply at least the portion of the first firewall policy configuration to network traffic associated with the first hostname.

14. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the names server is associated with a dynamic DNS provider.

15. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the processor further executes the policy configuration application by:

retrieving a parameter that specifies a duration of time that the second network address is valid; and

waiting for the duration of time prior to transmitting the first request.

16. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the processor further executes the policy configuration application by:

subsequent to receiving the first network address, waiting for a specified duration of time;

transmitting a second request to the names server to translate the first hostname into a corresponding network address;

receiving a third network address from the names server in response to the second request;

determining whether the third network address is the same as the first network address; and

if the third network address is the same as the first network address, then maintaining the second record that associates the first network address and the first hostname, or

if the third network address is not the same as the first network address, then updating the first firewall policy configuration by replacing the second record with a third record associating the first hostname with the third network address.