End-User Device Naming Standard

Purpose

Scope

This Standard applies to all OHIO end-user devices enrolled after the effective date of this policy.  

Standard

Format

Exceptions

Exception requests must be submitted via a support ticket at help.ohio.edu for review by the Desktop and Device Engineering team. Approval will only be granted when a clear and compelling justification for deviating from this standard is provided.   

Pre-Approved Exceptions

All shared and location-based devices have a pre-approved exception to the above naming format so their physical location can be included in the device name. Having location information in the name allows technicians to quickly find and service the correct device without referencing management systems. 

Shared and Lab Location-Based Device Naming Standard 

All devices must follow this 15-character maximum format: 

Field Definitions (Shared and Lab Locations)

• BBBB (Building Short Code – 4 characters)
  • Follows Building Short Codes provided by Facilities
• RRRR (Room number – Max. 4 characters)
• ## (Computer Number – 2 numbers)
  • Assigned number 01-99 for lab devices
• F (Floor – 1 number)
• LLLL (Location identifier – 4 characters)
  • Accepted Location Identifiers:  
    • ALCV = Alcove
    • ANNX = Annex
    • ATRM = Atrium
    • CAFE = Cafe
    • CNTR = Center
    • DESK = Desk
    • ELEV = Elevator
    • ENTR = Entrance
    • ESCL = Escalators
    • FRPL = Fireplace
    • HALL = Hallway
    • LIBR = Library
    • LBBY = Lobby
    • LNGE = Lounge
    • MAIL = Mailroom
    • OFFC = Office
    • QUAD = Quad display
    • ROTD = Rotunda
    • STRW = Stairwell
    • SUIT = Suite
• D (Directional Identifier – 1 character - optional)
  • Accepted Directional Identifiers:
    • N = North
    • S = South
    • E = East
    • W = West
    • L = Left
    • R = Right
    • T = Top
    • B = Bottom
• N (Computer Number – 1 number - optional)
  • Assigned number 1-9 

Examples (Share and Lab Locations)

Roles and Responsibilities

• Office of Information Technology (OIT)  
  • Maintain and publish the official Planning Unit and Department code list.  
  • Audit compliance with this naming standard.  
• Planning Unit IT Staff
  • Apply this naming standard when provisioning devices.
  • Verify device names do not exceed 15 characters.
  • Verify device names are not duplicative.
• End Users
  • No direct responsibility. Device names are assigned by technicians.   

Compliance

• All newly provisioned devices must follow this naming standard.  
• Devices provisioned before the effective date won’t be renamed unless they are reprovisioned
• Non-compliant devices will be renamed by Planning Unit IT Staff as directed by OIT
• Existing devices without a correct planning unit prefix will be in scope for renaming 

Governance

This standard is maintained by the Office of Information Technology Digital Workspaces Portfolio. It undergoes an annual review to ensure ongoing alignment with institutional policies, security requirements, and operational needs. Revisions may occur more frequently as required to respond to evolving business needs or technology changes.  

Revision History

Appendix A: 15-Character Limit

A 15-character limitation exists because Windows networking still relies on the NetBIOS protocol for certain legacy operations, such as device discovery and name resolution. While this limitation applies primarily to Windows devices, all end-user device names will be limited to 15 characters to ensure consistency and uniformity across all end-user devices.  

Appendix B: Prohibition of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in Device Names

Device names must not contain personally identifiable information (PII), including but not limited to usernames, email addresses, employee IDs, or student identifiers. All device names must be derived solely from non-personal attributes defined in this standard, and user identity must not be encoded in any portion of the device name.

This requirement supports data minimization by reducing unnecessary exposure of sensitive information across enterprise systems such as DNS, directory services, logs, and device discovery tools. It also reinforces the separation of concerns, ensuring that device identity remains distinct from user identity, which is managed in endpoint management and inventory platforms. Additionally, because devices are frequently reassigned, user-based naming conventions can quickly become inaccurate and introduce operational inconsistency. Avoiding PII in device names also strengthens security by limiting opportunities for reconnaissance and targeted social engineering, while reducing the scope of systems subject to privacy and audit controls.