There’s a well-known joke in the realm of software engineering:

“What are the two hardest things in software engineering?”

1. The task you’re currently grappling with.
2. Naming things.
3. Off by one errors.

But let’s focus on the second point – naming things. It’s indeed a challenging aspect, especially when clients inquire about how to name their IT assets. My response usually is: “It depends.”

There are several naming conventions, often mixed within a single organization or business vertical. Here’s a breakdown of these conventions, each with an example for clarity:

1. No Convention: This is when your machine decides the name upon startup. For instance, a Windows device might be named “DESKTOP-XXXXXX”, while an OSX device could be “Bob’s iMac” or “Ashley’s MacBook Air”. This convention is common among smaller clients or organizations with fewer than 10 corporate-controlled devices.
2. Coded Naming: This convention is akin to how streets are named – based on a theme. The fleet of devices have unique names derived from that theme. For example, you might name devices after vintage cars, renowned scientists, cities, animals, or any other theme with a large collection of potential names. This convention is typically reserved for large systems or systems frequently mentioned in conversation. You may call it things such as Wombat, Dolphine, Koala, Mustang, or others.
3. Sequential Naming: This convention comes into play when a basic IT asset register is in place. It typically uses a prefix followed by incremental numbers. For instance, “PC-001”, “PC-002”, and so on. The advantage of this system is its simplicity and the ability to define it in advance. However, it requires additional metadata to associate with a specific serial number.
4. Informed Naming: This convention typically uses an aspect of the manufacturer’s serial number or identifier. For example, a device could be named “SC-XYZ123” where SC is Skywalker Consulting, and “XYZ123” is part of the OEM’s ID. This method simplifies cross-checking and correlation but may not allow for advance naming depending on procurement and purchasing agreements.
5. Functional Naming: This convention uses an informed system that considers factors such as location, usage, user, function, year, accessories, version, colour, and then a simple number to differentiate similar ones. For example, a printer in the New York office might be named “NY-Printer-01”, or a file server may be called “SC-FS-01”.
6. Hybrid: This convention is used when you need to combine one or more of the above options. For instance, a device could be named using a combination of the coded and sequential conventions, like “NY-PC-001”.

Remember, the choice of naming convention largely depends on the specific needs and context of your organization. The key is to choose a system that is logical, scalable, and easy to manage for your business. The naming convention that you choose today, does not need to be the one that you use forever.