# Naming Cloud Resources Standards · CLOUD-01 ## Standard Metadata - Area: Security - Owner: Cloud & DevOps group - Last reviewed: 2026-09-09 - Next review due from: 2026-12-01 - Enforcement: Code review - Status: Active ## Overview Naming conventions for resources in a cloud provider play a crucial role in maintaining a well-organized and easily manageable environment. By adhering to these guidelines, we can ensure consistency, clarity, and efficiency across all Audacia projects both ones hosted by us and ones hosted by our clients. Determine the appropriate naming convention based on the project's context: - For a new project or environment - use this naming convention. - For an existing project or environment without a clear convention - use this naming convention for new resources. - For an existing project or environment with a clear convention - use the existing naming convention. ## Cloud resources must have descriptive and meaningful names · CLOUD-01.1 · **MUST** · **DEV** Use names that accurately describe the resource's purpose, function, or role. Avoid ambiguous or generic names that may lead to confusion or misinterpretation. Ensure names convey relevant information without being overly long or complex. Example 1: - Good: `olympus-dev-vm` - Bad: `vm1` Example 2: - Good: `olympus-dev-asp-functions` - Bad: `app-service-plan` Example 3: - Good: `olympusdevst` - Bad: `storageaccount` ## Cloud resources must be named consistently · CLOUD-01.2 · **MUST** · **DEV** Establish a consistent naming convention that is applied uniformly across all resources. Include all relevant teams and stakeholders in the development of the naming standard to ensure buy-in and alignment. Good: - `olympus-dev-asp-functions` - `olympus-qa-asp-functions` - `olympus-uat-asp-functions` Bad: - `olympus-dev-service-plan-functions` - `olympus-qa-asp-functions` - `olympus-uat-app-service-plan-functions` ## Resource names must use lowercase letters and numbers · CLOUD-01.3 · **MUST** · **DEV** Stick to lowercase letters and numbers to avoid potential case sensitivity issues and ensure consistency. Avoid using special characters, spaces, or uppercase letters in resource names. ## Resource names must include an environment indicator · CLOUD-01.4 · **MUST** · **DEV** Include environment indicators to differentiate resources across development, production, staging, or testing environments. Use abbreviations or standardized keywords such as "dev", "prod", "staging" or "qa". Generic: `{project}-{environment}-*` Examples: - `olympus-dev-*` - `olympus-qa-*` - `olympus-uat-*` - `olympus-prod-*` ## Resource names must include purpose or resource type indicators · CLOUD-01.5 · **MUST** · **DEV** Use the purpose and the type of the resource to categorize the resources based on their purpose, department, or function. Prefixes provide a quick way to identify resource types and aid in navigation and management. Generic: `{project}-{environment}-{purpose*}-{resource}-*` `purpose*`: A prefix indicating the purpose of the resource in the context of the system. Examples: - `olympus-qa-portal-api` - `olympus-qa-public-api` - `olympus-qa-orders-func` - `olympus-qa-timers-func` - `olympus-qa-customers-sqldb` - `olympus-qa-sales-sqldb` - `olympus-qa-language-vnet` - `olympus-qa-build-vnet` ## Resource names must include a location indicator · CLOUD-01.6 · **MUST** · **DEV** Include location indicators for resources deployed across multiple regions or geographical locations. Use standardized location abbreviations or keywords to maintain consistency. Generic: `{project}-{environment}-{resource}-{location}` - `olympus-qa-sqldb-uksouth` - `olympus-qa-sqldb-westeu` - `olympus-qa-cosmos-westus` - `olympus-qa-cosmos-usva` ## Resource names must be concise and clear · CLOUD-01.7 · **MUST** · **DEV** Keep resource names concise while maintaining clarity and conveying relevant information. Avoid excessively long or cryptic names that may hinder readability and management. ## Project-specific conventions must be documented · CLOUD-01.8 · **MUST** · **DEV** If the project requires a different naming convention this should be documented and distributed among relevant teams and stakeholders. Provide clear guidelines, examples, and explanations to ensure proper understanding and adoption of the naming standard. Conduct training or workshops to educate teams on the importance of adhering to the naming conventions. ## Appendix - Common Abbreviations ### Azure Resources | Category | Resource | Abbreviation | Example | | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | General | Resource Group | `rg` | `{project}-{env}-rg` | | Compute and Web | Virtual Machine | `vm` | `{project}-{env}-vm` | | Compute and Web | App Service Plan | `asp` | `{project}-{env}-asp` / `{project}-{env}-asp-functions` | | Compute and Web | Web App | `web` | `{project}-{env}-{name}-app` | | Compute and Web | Function App | `func` | `{project}-{env}-{name}-func` | | Compute and Web | Availability Set | `avail` | `{project}-avail` | | Databases | Database | `db` | `{project}-{env}-sqldb` / `{project}-{env}-cosmos` | | Databases | Azure Cache for Redis instance | `redis` | `{project}-redis` | | Integration | Service Bus | `sbns` | `{project}-{env}-sbns` | | Integration | Service Bus Queue | `sbq` | `{project}-sbq` | | Integration | Service Bus Topic | `sbt` | `{project}-sbt` | | Integration | Logic App | `logic` | `{project}-logic` | | Management and Governance | Azure Monitor Action Group | `ag` | `{project}-ag` | | Security | Key Vault | `kv` | `{project}-kv` | | Storage | Storage Account | `st` | `{project}{env}st` / `{project}{env}st{name}` | | Analytics | Log Analytics workspace | `log-analytics` | `{project}-{env}-log-analytics` | | Analytics | Application Insights | `appinsights` | `{project}-{env}-app-insights` | | Networking | DNS zone | `dns` | `{project}-{env}-dns` | | Networking | Virtual Network | `vnet` | `{project}-{env}-vnet` | | Networking | Subnet | `snet` | `{project}-{env}-snet` | | Networking | Network Security Group | `nsg` | `{project}-{env}-nsg` / `{project}-{env}-nsg-{type}` | | Networking | Front Door (Standard/Premium) profile | `afd` | `{project}-afd` | | Networking | Front Door (Standard/Premium) endpoint | `fde` | `{project}-fde` | | Networking | Front Door firewall policy | `fdfp` | `{project}-fdfp` | | Networking | Front Door (classic) | `afd` | `{project}-afd` | | AI & ML | Azure Cognitive Search | `srch` | `{project}-{env}-srch` | | AI & ML | Azure Cognitive Services | `cog` | `{project}-{env}-cog` | For Azure resources that are not in the above table, refer to [here](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ready/azure-best-practices/resource-abbreviations) for guidance.