Standard host names
A revised table of proposed standard host names and four-character alternatives.
Postel, J., "Standard host names", RFC 236, DOI 10.17487/RFC0236, September 1971, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc236>.
@misc{rfc236,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 236,
howpublished = {RFC 236},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0236},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc236},
author = {J. Postel},
title = {{Standard host names}},
pagetotal = 2,
year = 1971,
month = sep,
} RFC text
Network Working Group Jon Postel
Request for Comments: #236 UCLA-NMC
NIC 7661 Computer Science
Categories: D.3 27 September 71
Related: #226, 229
Obsoletes: 229
STANDARD HOST NAMES
In RFC #226, Peggy Karp suggested that there be a set of standard host names,
that the names be 6 characters in length, and gave a partial list. In RFC
#229, I suggested 8 character names and gave a longer list. Here I present
my list again with some modifications.
I also suggest that as far as possible the Standard host names be consistent
with the site names used by the Network Information Center. It also seems
to me to be a good idea to consult with each host's technical liaison officer
before assigning that host's name.
It has been brought to my attention that programmers are lazy and don't like
to deal with character strings longer than one computer word or containing
characters other than the capital letters A-Z or the digits 0-9. Thus, I
have included an alternate list which is limited to 4 character names using
only the alphanumerics.
Site Standard Name Alternate Name
---- ------------- --------------
1 UCLA-NMC NMC
65 UCLA-CCN CCN
2 SRI-ARC NIC
66 SRI-AI SRAI
3 UCSB UCSB
4 UTAH UTAH
5 BBN-NCC NCC
69 BBN BBN
133 BBN-B BBNB
6 MIT-MLTX MLTX
70 MIT-DMCG DMCG
7 RAND-65 RAND
71 RAND-10 RND1
8 SDC SDC
9 HARV-10 HARV
73 HARV-1 HRV1
137 HARV-11 HRV2
Network Working Group Jon Postel
Request for Comments: #236 UCLA-NMC
27 September 71
Site Standard Name Alternate Name
---- ------------- --------------
10 LL-67 LL67
74 LL-TX2 TX2
11 SU-AI SUAI
75 SU-HP SUHP
12 ILL ILL
13 CASE CASE
14 CMU CMU
15 BUROUGHS BURR
16 AMES-67 AMES
144 AMES-TIP AMET
145 MITR-TIP MTRT
18 RADC RADC
146 RADC-TIP RADT
19 NBS NBS
147 NBS-TIP NBST
148 ETAC-TIP ETAT
21 TINKER OCAF
22 MCLELLAN SMAF
23 USC USC
151 USC-TIP USCT
152 GWC-TIP GWCT
25 NCAR NCAR
153 NCAR-TIP NCAT
158 BBN-TIP BBNT
[ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
[ into the online RFC archives by BBN Corp. under the ]
[ direction of Alex McKenzie. 12/96 ]
ISO Plain Language
On this page
§1Earlier Host-Name Proposals
RFC 226 suggested standard host names six characters long and included a partial list. RFC 229 proposed names eight characters long and provided a longer list.
RFC 236 presents Postel's list again with modifications. It suggests matching the Network Information Center's site names where possible and consulting a host's technical liaison before assigning its name.
Earlier notes proposed host names of different lengths. This note revises one list and recommends checking names with each host's liaison.
§1Short Alternate Names
The author says programmers may prefer strings no longer than one computer word and limited to capital letters A-Z or digits 0-9. He therefore includes an alternate list limited to four characters and those alphanumeric characters.
For example, the standard name UCLA-NMC is paired with alternate NMC, and SRI-ARC is paired with NIC.
The alternate names are shorter and use only capital letters and digits. The table gives a standard name and a short alternative for listed sites.
§1The Site Name Table
The table pairs site numbers with a standard name and an alternate name. It includes sites such as UCLA-NMC, SRI-ARC, UCSB, UTAH, BBN-NCC, and MIT-DMCG.
The listed entries include site 158, BBN-TIP, with alternate name BBNT.
The table connects a site number to a standard host name and an alternate name. It includes entries for universities, laboratories, and other listed sites.