====== Hostnames ======

Some people name their machines according to what they do, for example:
  * web
  * mail
  * dns
  * backup

I dislike this practice because it means you can't use a machine for anything other than one job (or if you do, the name loses its significance).

I far prefer to give machines generic names (often involving some specific theme) and then use DNS CNAMEs to point web, mail, dns and backup to whichever machines do those jobs; some of them can then easily perform more than one task but still be accessible using more than one task-based name.

Thinking up a theme can be more of a challenge than you realise at the start.

The most common trap to fall into is choosing a theme which only has a limited number of names available (for example, characters in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, planets in the Solar system, or even the names of chemical elements).

So, take for example the Seven Dwarfs:
  * Bashful
  * Doc
  * Dopey
  * Grumpy
  * Happy
  * Sleepy
  * Sneezy

Once you get an eighth machine, what do you do?

How about:
  * Dumpy
  * Frumpy
  * Gropey
  * Hippy
  * Humpy
  * Mopey
  * Sleazy
  * Sneaky
  * Squeaky

If those still aren't enough, you can always go off in the direction of Bashful and Doc:
  * Candid
  * Fearless
  * Frank
  * Fretful
  * Nurse
  * Porter
  * Prof
  * Reticent
  * Sheepish
  * Spooky
  * Sultry
  * Tranquil

Whatever theme/s you choose for your machines, have fun :)

----

[[.:|Go up]]\\
Return to [[:|main index]].