Computer Naming

FNSBSD Computer Naming Convention.

For a number of technical reasons, it has become increasingly important that computers be named in a way that is immediately identifiable and completely unique district-wide.  The days of having fifteen computers from across the district all named "LAB-01", and five more named "Bobby's Macintosh" are coming to an end.

This naming convention is being put into place to simplify management of the thousands of computers owned by the district; to allow us to more easily and quickly identify a computer when an end-user needs assistance; and to allow the IT staff to use tools such as FileWave to more quickly provide software resources to computer users.

Because of the complexity of the district network, and the limitations inherent in certain parts of the network which are nonetheless critical systems throughout the district, a computer name cannot exceed a 15 characters in length.  This single limit causes a number of problems, which these new naming rules are intended to answer.

Computer names are to be created in the following format:

LOC-DSG-TAG#  (Examples would be ADC-NWS-000000 for our macs or ADC-NWS-XXXXXXX for our Dells)

This format allows anyone to immediately identify

1. The 'home' location of the computer in question
2. The general usage of the computer (Lab?  Staff?  Teacher? etc.)
3. The exact, specific machine.

All new computers are issued to individual or locations, and that information is tied to the tag number in the inventory system and the work order system, so it is generally possible to find out from the computer name who the computer belongs to.

The specifics of the first to parts of the computer name are:

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LOC is the three-letter location identifier, as such:

ADC = Admin Center         AND = Anderson           AWE = Anne Wien                
ARC = Arctic Light         BGR = Badger Road        BNT = Barnette                
BEH = Ben Eielson High     CEC = Career Ed          CHI = Chinook
CRW = Crawford             DNL = Denali             EKC = Effie Kokrine
FMD = Facilities Maint.            
HTR = Hunter               HUT = Hutchison          JOY = Joy
LAD = Ladd                 LTH = Lathrop            NDL = Nordale
NPE = North Pole Elem      NPM = North Pole Mid     PLC = Pearl Creek
RSM = Randy Smith          RYN = Ryan               SAL = Salcha
SON = Star of the North    TAN = Tanana             TIC = Ticasuk Brown            
TRV = Two Rivers           UPK = University Park    WLR = Weller
WVH = West Valley          WRV = Wood River

If a computer is issued to an individual that normally moves between several locations
(schools), use the location as shown in FILE'

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DSG is a three-letter designator intended to help identify the department or usage of a computer:

Common Designators:

ANE = Computers connected to/purchased by Alaska Native Ed program (XANE)
C## = "Cart" computers - laptops kept in carts.  
       Numerals are used to identify which cart the computer is in.
       Please pad ("01, 02") single-digit cart numbers.
COU = Counselors
GEN = Catchall designation for general or public computers
       (machines used by staff, students, and possibly the public)
ITT = Instructional Tech Teachers
LAB = Lab computers in schools with only one computer lab.
L## = Lab computers in schools with more than one lab.
### = Lab computers in schools with lots of labs; ### being the room number.
LIB = General-access Library computers.
       (Computers used exclusively by Library personnel would be "LMS")
LMS = Computers connected to the Library/Media Services department (XLMS)
SPD = SPED People
STA = Staff: Principals, Secretaries, Aides.
       (Catchall for anything that doesn't have a separate code in this list.)
STU = Student-issued computers (Individually issued computers only)
SVC = Services: Transportation, Food & Nutrition, Print Shop, Business Services
TCH = Teacher-issued computers (Both classroom desktops and individual laptops)

Less Common Designators (probably mostly at ADC - check FILE for location code)

ACT = Accounting (XACT)
ADM = Administrative Services (XADM)
ALS = Alternative Learning Services (XALS)
ART = Art Center computers (XART)
ASP = After School Program computers (XASP)
BUS = Business Services (XBUS)
CSH = Cashier Computers (XCSH)
CUR = Curriculum Dept (XCUR)
EEO = (XEEO)
FNS = Food & Nutrition Services (XF&N)
FED = Federal Programs (XFED)
GIS = Guided Independent Study (XGIS)
GSP = Grant Programs (XGSP)
HRD = Human Resources (XHRD)
INS = Information Services (XINS)
LNR = Any machine kept by Network Services as a "Loaner" computer, desktop or laptop
LRD = Labor Relations Department (XLRD)
NWS = Computers connected to the Network Services department (XNET)
PAY = Payroll Department (XPAY)
PPE = Program Planning and Evaluation (XPPE)
PRT = Print Shop (XPRT)
PUR = Purchasing Dept (XPUR)
SPT = Superintendent's offices (XSP1, XSP2)
SRE = Start/Re-Entry program (XSRE)
TRA = Transportation Dept (XTRA)

In Lab environments, where computers tend to be identified by a number, we recommend
using the last two or three digits of the tag number (mac labs) or the middle two or
three characters of the service tag (dell labs).   We realize that this is an
inconvenience, for which we apologise, but it represents the only way to absolutely,
positively ensure that no computer ID will be duplicated anywhere in the district.