[FX.php List] [OFF] This is gonna sound dumb

[Jonathan Schwartz]

Well, I was thinking that there is more to it than that.

Aside from the server name, there is also the Reverse DNS Name.  I'm 
not sure that I want to broadcast to the world what machines are used 
for, such as production.mydomain.com. Also, what happens when you 
have multiples of the same function?

So, for each machine, there are multiple "ID's" to track:
	- Physical machine (CPU/MAC Address)
	- Physical machine's name (I have labels on my colo machines 
that are now out of sync).
	- IP address
	- Domain Name for the IP
	- Reverse DNS Name
	- Server Name (in the OS)
	- What the machine is used for (FMP Server, Mail server, Web 
server, etc)

One suggestion I've heard is to use nonsensical labels, such as pet 
names, city names, etc. Then, the name doesn't tie the machine to a 
particular function.  This is similar to the convention used for 
creating FMP key fields: Existent, Persistent, Unique and 
Meaningless.  (There's a fifth, but I forget what that is).

One thing I have learned/realized...not to think of the "server name" 
and the machine as the same thing.  Future physical machines 
might/will replace current machines, but the function of the machine 
stays the same.

I thought that this might be applicable to fx.php developers, 
especially since FMP best practices recommends multiple machines for 
Web applications.

After creating the list above for illustrative purposes, I think that 
the best solution is to create a reference chart to keep score, 
keeping Domain and Name and RDNS Name permanent, with everything else 
variable.

Sorry/Thanks for letting me have this thinking-out-loud process. 
It's harder than it appears.

Jonathan




At 11:48 AM +0100 1/9/08, Gjermund Gusland Thorsen wrote:
>name them
>
>dev
>testing
>production
>
>for your own pleasure...
>
>ggt

-- 
Jonathan Schwartz
Exit 445 Group
jonathan at exit445.com
http://www.exit445.com
415-381-1852