Finding a good naming scheme for my domains...

[AFurryReptile]

Hopefully this is the best place to ask this question.

I'm managing ~100 computers across 3 domains, and we will definitely be expanding. I can easily see us taking on 2 more remote locations, and 2 more domains, within the next year.

Currently our computers' and devices' names are all over the place; we have everything from "User-PC" to "NEWPC" to "SB0001." None of these names are particularly useful, and I'm looking to fix this before things get out of hand.

Currently I'm toying with a naming scheme that looks something like this: ASA-TX-FLAS-PC

1) the first division is 3 initials representing the company (since all of these remote domains are acquisitions, and separate from the parent company.)
2) the second division is the state. It's highly unlikely that we will ever operate outside of the US
3) the third division is the owner's first initial, and the first three letters of their last name. If it is a device like a router or a printer, this will just be the company owner's initials.
4) the last division identifies what the device is. It would be no more than 4 digits long (to keep within NetBIOS and WINS compatibility,) and would be something like "PC", "LPTP", "PRTR", or "WIFI". I've considered using numbers here, too, and simply assigning certain numbers to certain kinds of devices.

Do you guys have any suggestions, or see any potential problems with this kind of scheme? We plan to grow, and I just want to get this kind of stuff taken care of before we do. Thanks!

 

[piasabird]

Wait till you get a bunch of IP Phones? Woo Hoo.

 

[AFurryReptile]

Wait till you get a bunch of IP Phones? Woo Hoo.

Oh god, didn't even think about that...

Maybe instead of the owner, an asset number would be better... at least that way, nothing should need to change if the employee using it does.

 

[xSauronx]

i got some good suggestions when i posted something about names not too long ago

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2248082&highlight=inventory

if things almost never get moved in your org then location based may be worth considering. smaller networks that have few people (think 1 or 2 IT people) fiddling with devices can sometimes get away with this. a smaller community college, small city/town IT infrastructure, small hospital or dr office, etc.

I'd avoid long ranges of numbers. The health system example in the linked post is a nightmare. When people call in with a computer issue or problem, IT is supposed to open a ticket with the user logon name, phone number, and pc name.

pcs named CLNW##### are a bitch. I've heard users on the phone repeat 4 or 5 times their workstation number, and ive had multiple tickets come to me if im doing outside support for those people that have the wrong workstation number on it. its a fucking nightmare.

If you have a room or lab with 20 pcs, and you call it ASA-TX-LAB-[01-20] then maybe. but...i also HATE hyphens and underscores in device names. really ruins your workflow if you need to enter or manipulate a lot of that data at a time, and i find it personally annoying to type if i need to interact with the device and have to type in the name, but that might just be me.

either way, keeping up with more details all in AD or in some kind of asset management seems like the real way to keep on top of things. if you have a lot of free time or help you could make a note of the switch/port they are plugged in to, and enforce port security with some kind of syslogging alerts so you knew when something got moved.

 

[AFurryReptile]

Great suggestions - definitely going to check out that other thread when I get a minute, and definitely going to rethink the number-system. You're right; if I'm going to track assets, the names need to be easy to read and meaningful. I've worked with them before, and a string of numbers is a pain in the ass every single time.

Port tracking is a good idea too, and something I hadn't thought about. I've got a long way to go - you guys should see the cabling job here - but we're coming along!

If anyone else has suggestions, I've got a few weeks to decide yet. Thanks so far!

 

[AFurryReptile]

Man, you're situation sounds awful... way worse than mine. Fortunately I'm getting a jump start on what could be a horrible thing to need to repair in the future. Our company is growing, fast, but we don't have many PC's yet.

 

[notposting]

I would read the other thread and do some web browsing on the topic. Then maybe bring it up with upper management, hiring a consultant to revise and refine your plan could be a very good idea.

 

[yinan]

Also, try to cut down on the number of domains. Having more domains makes things harder not easier.

 

[Emulex]

a record=device serial#
PTR record = A record
cname = username (due to turnover)

more domains is a serious pita. (not email, but OU)

 

[AFurryReptile]

Also, try to cut down on the number of domains. Having more domains makes things harder not easier.

Trust me, I know that more domains is a pain in the ass. But you don't just change the domain an exchange server is running on without more headache.

My remote domains are all acquisitions - they're completely different businesses, with different business models, different software, different architecture, and owners that are resistant to change. It just isn't worth moving to one domain, at this point.

 

[AFurryReptile]

a record=device serial#
PTR record = A record
cname = username (due to turnover)

more domains is a serious pita. (not email, but OU)

I let the PC's register themselves in DNS, so if I name them meaningfully, there's no need to create manual records. I can't see thousands of serial numbers being spread across multiple locations being helpful at all...

Although the CNAME is not a bad idea. I saw it in the other thread too and thought it might be a good way to keep track of who's using what.