We can completely understand the humour behind naming your VPS or dedicated server something funny or weird. Maybe you like to name your servers after your favourite TV show characters, or you’ve gotten into the habit of using your pets’ names.
However, if you have lots of different servers, each with various functions, resource levels and locations, things can get confusing – especially when you start scaling up your business. That’s why server naming conventions are super important. They help you label and identify your servers quickly and efficiently, and they make things much less confusing for both employees and clients.
What do we mean by server naming conventions?
Server naming conventions are basically a list of best practices for naming servers. They help to standardise your servers and create logical names. This is especially useful for businesses that find themselves with lots of different servers, and a naming convention can help to keep track of them all.
Server naming best practices
So, what is the best way to decide on a name for each one of your servers? Creating a server naming convention will not only help you to name the servers you have now, but it’ll also make it a lot easier to pick names for future servers too. Let’s run through how to start naming your servers.
1. Server functions and uses
Firstly, it’s important to consider how you use your servers in your day-to-day work life. Maybe each of your servers has a different function, or they could be spread out in various locations. In this case, you could include something in the name of your server to help identify where that particular server is, or what it does. Not only will this help your staff, but it will become a tried and tested method for naming future servers too.
2. Consider length
A server doesn’t need a super lengthy name – if anything, the shorter the better. We recommend no more than 15 characters in a server name. A long server name is difficult to say out loud, but with a shorter server name you can drop this into everyday conversations with ease.
3. Add server information
The name of your server should provide the reader with some form of information. Maybe you want to add a reference to the server’s specific resource level, such as RAM or SSD, or something else entirely. Whatever you decide, this is a great way to signify to users which server is which, and what they can expect.
4. Make it verbal
Can you comfortably discuss the name of your server verbally, whether that’s in person or over the phone? If the answer is no, then you should consider renaming your server. Make sure that each of your server names are easy to discuss out loud – this is an important server naming convention to follow and you’ll thank us later.
5. Create a naming method
Finally, decide on a server naming template – one that can be used across your whole company, on all of your servers. This will make sure that every time you add a new server, there’s a proper process in place to take care of naming it. For instance, something as simple as ‘location/servertype/number’ would work perfectly well.
Why server naming conventions are important
Using a server naming convention will make sure that all of your servers are easily identifiable, and this will help your employees and clients massively. A consistent server naming system is especially helpful when you have a lot of different servers that may not all have the same function or purpose. A well-named server should be able to show you at first glance any information that’s important, such as location, storage capacity, or what they are to be used for. Make your life easier and decide on some server naming conventions.
Common server naming mistakes
What should you try to avoid when naming your server? Well, we’ve put together a few common mistakes that you might encounter when picking a server name.
1. Using random names
We like funny server names as much as the next person, but it’s probably not the best idea for your business. Utilising an informative server name can help to identify which one you need, and quickly. However, if all of your servers are using random names, yes you might chuckle at them, but it’ll take some time to sift through each one. The moral of the story is to try and make the most out of your server names.
2. Using confusing letters or acronyms
Most people can agree that a capital ‘O’ and a ‘0’ look relatively similar, and if it’s not obvious which is which, mistakes could be made. That’s why we recommend trying to avoid using similar looking letters – for example, using M, V, W, and N together might be confusing as well. So make sure that your server name is as easy to read and remember as possible.
3. Adding unnecessary letters and numbers
Adding your company’s initials at the end of your server name might seem logical, but it’s actually just making your server name longer. Try to avoid unnecessary elements such as this, and stick to the basics when it comes to naming your server.
SQL server naming conventions for SQL hosting customers
Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft that helps you store and retrieve data. With SQL server hosting, businesses can better manage and organise their intelligence operations.
Just like with naming your server, observing proper SQL server naming conventions will make it much easier for you and your employees to quickly identify information. You’ll need to follow similar rules, such as:
- Standardising a naming convention within your organisation, making sure that everyone understands and follows this.
- Not using special characters, underscores or spaces.
- Avoiding abbreviations where possible.
- Avoiding plurals for table names.
- Prefacing stored procedures with "usp".
- Prefacing functions with "ufn".
Want to get your hands on a server? From dedicated servers to cloud servers and virtual private servers, we can offer them all. Not sure which one would work best for you? Get in touch with our team today to find out more.
