2.8 KiB
What is a naming scheme?
A naming scheme is a simple concept, a set of rules used when naming something. It dictates easy to remember and easy to recognize names for all devices. A naming scheme doesn't need to be complex. You can have names as simple as Laptop-001, Desktop-001, Server-001 etc. What matters is having a consistent pattern of names that you and your team all understand.
Why use a naming scheme for a homelab?
A naming scheme for a homelab may seem overkill. In theory, if you're the only one setting up the lab you will know all the random hostnames that are either auto generated by the OS or you'll remember the hostname that you gave your workstation.
For a lot of user's thats true, especially in a situation where your set up is simple such as a single NAS. But as you add more devices having a standard way to name devices make overall management easier. It also allows you to know info about a device simply looking at its hostname. Using a simple example hostname like Laptop-001, you know right away that this device is a laptop. Based on that info alone you can already know a bit of information about the device. Its probably not connected to ethernet, its probably connected to wifi, you may know the general OS based on the inventory of laptops you have.
Naming schemes let you build information into hostname name of a device and gives you a clean neat way of organizing your devices.
My naming scheme
I knew I wanted a naming scheme, but I had no idea what I wanted to do. I wanted a scheme that lets me have a few different categories.
- Servers
- Virtual Machines
- Workstations
- Laptops
- Mobile devices (Phones, ROG Ally, etc)
After going through a few different ideas I settled on something that gives me all the info I wanted, and lets me have something related to something I really like, the Halo Universe Lets break down the naming scheme a little bit. Obviously this might change a bit as I actually set up devices, but this is the framework for what I want.
[info] This section obviously talks a lot about topics related to Halo lore. Even if you don't know Halo lore the concepts behind the naming scheme can apply to any other naming scheme you may use.
Severs
I wanted to give my servers names that showcase their foundational importance to my homelab so I decided to name them after the most important Forerunner installations; the Ark and the Halos themselves
- 00-ARK - Primary ProxMox Box
- 01-BETA - OPNSense Router
- 02-EPSILON - VPN Server
- 03-GAMMA - Network monitoring server
This naming scheme gives me 8 total names to use, which for my current final vision for my home lab is more than I will need.
Virtual Machines
To me VMs are the systems that take care of the servers. That handle most of the heavy lifting, and take care of running everything from services, to monitoring and even maintenance.