Hostname Naming Conventions

Dimas Maulana Development

23-10-2022

Contents

Overview

A hostname naming convention ensures consistency, clarity, and scalability in IT infrastructure. The naming scheme follows a structured format that includes the function, location, and serial number of a host.

Example Hostname Structure

hcluster3-web1.sjc.sl.example.net

Breakdown of the Example

hcluster3 – Cluster identifier
web1 – Server type and serial number
sjc – Location code (San Jose, CA)
sl – Site-specific identifier
example.net – Domain name

Naming Categories

Primary Host Functions

A hostname’s function is specified using a standard set of abbreviations. The serial number follows the function abbreviation.

Function	Description
app	Application Server (non-web)
sql	Database Server
ftp	SFTP Server
mta	Mail Server
dns	Name Server
cfg	Configuration Management (Puppet, Ansible, etc.)
mon	Monitoring Server (Nagios, Sensu, etc.)
prx	Proxy/Load Balancer (software)
ssh	SSH Jump/Bastion Host
sto	Storage Server
vcs	Version Control Software Server (Git, SVN, CVS, etc.)
vmm	Virtual Machine Manager
web	Web Server

Special Device Naming

Certain devices have unique designations to indicate their specialized function.

Device	Description
con	Console/Terminal Server
fwl	Firewall
lbl	Load Balancer (physical)
rtr	L3 Router
swt	L2 Switch
vpn	VPN Gateway
pdu	Power Distribution Unit
ups	Uninterruptible Power Supply

Complete Naming Scheme Examples

Example 1

crimson.example.com.         A       192.0.2.11
crimson.lan.example.com.     A       10.0.2.11
crimson.oob.example.com.     A       10.42.2.11
web01.prd.nyc.example.com.   CNAME   crimson.example.com.

Example 2

melody.example.com.          A       192.0.2.12
melody.lan.example.com.      A       10.0.2.12
melody.oob.example.com.      A       10.42.2.12
web02.prd.nyc.example.com.   CNAME   melody.example.com.

Example 3

verona.example.com.          A       192.0.2.13
verona.lan.example.com.      A       10.0.2.13
verona.oob.example.com.      A       10.42.2.13
cfg01.prd.nyc.example.com.   CNAME   verona.example.com.
mon01.prd.nyc.example.com.   CNAME   verona.example.com.
puppet.example.com.          CNAME   verona.example.com.
nagios.example.com.          CNAME   verona.example.com.

Example 4

benji.example.com.           A       192.0.2.104
benji.lan.example.com.       A       10.0.2.104
benji.oob.example.com.       A       10.42.2.104
web01.dev.pdx.example.com.   CNAME   benji.example.com.
martinlutherkingsr.melblanc.kugupu.stevejob.kenkesey.music.filmhistory.calligraphy.example.com   CNAME   benji.example.com.

Conclusion

A structured hostname naming convention simplifies system management, troubleshooting, and automation. By following this standardized approach, organizations can maintain consistency across their IT infrastructure.