On the Naming of Systems
"A cat has three names ..." goes a poem/song from Cats, and so do systems on a network. A system has a proper name such as NTOABYM05 or MVSQA100, and a common name, such as nancy or sluggo. Finally, a system has a secret name, like 05:09:3f:57:60:22 or 198.162.27.33.
The problem with proper names is that once a system is named with a proper name, it cannot be unnamed or renamed without disturbing the cosmic whole. This means that proper names must be chosen with care so that they do not reveal too much about the system, in case that aspect of the system changes. MVSQA100 might signify that the system uses the MVS Operating System, is used for Quality Assurance work, and is the 100'th node in the network, but if that system is given over to the VM operating system, or is used for Development work, or is moved to a smaller network where it is the 15'th node, it's proper name now misnames it. However, since the proper name is the name that it's owners know it by, it must remain MVSQA100 even though it now should be VMDVLP15.
A system's common name is much friendlier, conveying nothing more than the individuality of the system. Should sluggo serve as a Linux webserver today and a Windows 7 workstation tomorrow, sluggo still identifies the system properly. Still, great caution is necessary in selecting a common name for a system as the name must not conflict with either the spirit of it's surroundings or with the other participants in the network. Naming two systems sluggo and sluggow would cause an imbalance in the ether, and perhaps overload one or both of the system with misrouted work. Similarly, naming a system nancy might cause unnecessary disturbances in the force if problems caused someone to say "nancy went down on me today" or "nancy's taking a dump". Verily, common names must be well thought out as well.
Lastly, we have secret names. These are names conferred on a system as an integral part of it's birthing, and for which the value is dictated by a higher power. We can say no more about secret names.
