dan takes a poll: server names

[Henry Spencer]

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004, Robert Brockway wrote:
> Also, if the hostname is used for item tracking or for service agreements
> and support contracts (common in traditional Unix land) it can be
> problematic to change the hostname and associated paperwork whenever a box
> changes function (and therefore name).

I find it useful to separate hardware names from DNS names.  When the box
comes in the door, it gets a hardware name that never changes (in my case,
usually from Greek mythology).  But that's completely separate from its
DNS name and also any service nicknames. 

For example, the current external.spsystems.net (my gateway/firewall) is
also known as Castor, it having been one of a pair of identical machines.
(First thing I did when they arrived was dig out the marking pen and put
a C on the front panel of one and a P on the other -- it's too easy to
get identical pieces of hardware confused.)  It's the third or fourth 
machine to be called "external".  It's also known by the internal nickname 
"clock", it being my current time server.

I do make some attempt to choose vaguely appropriate hardware names --
e.g., the current central system is Zeus, its predecessor was Kronos
(father of Zeus), its replacement-in-waiting is Apollo (one of Zeus's
sons) -- but they don't change even if they eventually become
inappropriate. 

                                                          Henry Spencer
                                                       henry-lqW1N6Cllo0sV2N9l4h3zg at public.gmane.org

--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://tlug.ss.org
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://tlug.ss.org/subscribe.shtml