In RFC#226, BBN's TENEX list of Host names was set up as a strawman set of standard Host names. Comments received since then (an RFC actually generated comments!!!) have influenced me to propose the following general rules for forming Host names.
The Host names will be 8 characters in length. The general form is
<site> '-' <machine>
<site> will be at most 4 characters, formed as follows:
(a) Use the keyWord in the site name, if not more than four characters, e.g., NASA Ames, Case Western Reserve. ---- ----
(b) Use the standard acronym, if not more than four characters, e.g., UCLA, RADC, NBS.
(c) If a standard abbreviation exists, use it, e.g., Ill.
(d) If none of the above apply, use the first four letters in the site name, e.g., Burr, Mitr, Harv.
(e) If none of the above is acceptable to the site, the technical liaison should select the site mnemonic.
<machine> will be at most 4 characters of the form <mfg. #> <designator>. Examples of mfg. # are:
IBM 360 2 digit model number IBM 370 3 digit model number PDP 1 - 2 digit model number Burroughs 4 digits CDC 4 digits etc.
<designator> will be used when more than one machine of the same type is located at a site (e.g., 2 PDP-10s at MIT, at SRI, and at BBN).
Limiting <machine> to 4 characters does not permit distinctions to be made between machines with 4 digit mfg. #s. I eXPect the situation will be handled in an ad hoc manner by the NIC if it arises.
Tips are identified as 'TIP' rather than by '316'. If a Host is not to be permanently addressable, the machine is identified as 'TEST'.
A list of Host names, formed according to these rules, is attached. Alternate Host names should be provided, as suggested by Jon Postel (RFC#236). RFC's 206, 233, and 236 present lists with 4-character alternate names. The Technical Liaison should select the alternate name for his site and communicate the selection to the NIC.
The preceding rules and the attached list of Host names are subject to the approval of the NWG. Hereafter, the list will be generated and maintained by the NIC in coOperation with the Technical Liaison at each site, as suggested in RFC#237. Comments should be addressed to Dick Watson.
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If the standard Host names are formed according to the proposed rules, the following implementation scheme, suggested by Steve Crocker, can be used.
Map <site> into an 8-bit number, S and map <machine> into an 8-bit number, M, where S + M = Network Address.
S and M can be selected such that specification of <site> alone could cause a default to the "primary" Host at the site. Note that this scheme depends on a unique <site> designator for each IMP.
Some examples:
If the "primary" Host at UCLA is the 91, let UCLA -> S = X'41' 7 -> M = X'40' 91 -> M = X'00' then for UCLA-7, S + M = X'01' = 1 base 10 UCLA-91,S + M = X'41' = 65 base 10
and UCLA alone = X'41' = 65 base 10
If the primary Host at BBN is TENEX System A, let BBN -> S = X'45' 516 -> M = X'40' 10A -> M = X'00' 10B -> M = X'C0' then for BBN-516, S + M = X'05' = 5 base 10 BBN-10A, S + M = X'45' = 69 base 10 BBN-10B, S + M = X'85' = 133 base 10
and BBN alone = X'45' = 69 base 10
The primary Host for each IMP would be designated by the site and such information disseminated by the NIC.
