What are the naming recommendations when managing many vServices?

Short answer

The vService name (Name) is required and unique; the name itself is not a setting, but it is the main key of the list search, the Used in lists, the Left Monitor Panel and the Alt+T quick search. For this reason, a consistent scheme that puts the environment, the application and the protocol or port information at the beginning of the name in a fixed order is recommended (e.g. prd-portal-https, tst-portal-https). Since the quick search finds vServices only by their name and type, putting the team or customer name in the name makes searching easier. If the same prefix is also used in Backend Services, profiles, actions and conditions, all the related objects are filtered with a single RegExp search. Since on a Network vService every save, including a name change, restarts the vService, it is important to give the name correctly from the start.

How Does It Work?

1. The vService name is given in the Name field of the form; it is required and a second vService with the same name cannot be created.
2. The name identifies the vService in the vService list, in the Left Monitor Panel, in the Used in tabs, in the User Logs records and in the quick search results.
3. The search on the list screen looks at all the visible columns (e.g. Name, Type, IP) (How do search, RegExp search and column-based search work on list screens?); the Alt+T quick search finds vServices only by their name and type, not by IP address (How is a quick search done in the menu and across vServices (Alt+T)?).
4. The name can be changed later. On HTTP and L7 TCP vServices, the save is applied without interruption; on a Network vService, every save, including a name change, restarts the vService; the change is made at a low-traffic time.

Recommendations

Recommendation	Example	Why
Fixed order: environment, application, protocol or port	prd-portal-https, prd-db-sql-1433	Sorted side by side in the list, filtered with RegExp
Short, lowercase, a single separator (-)	tst-crm-http	Readable and easy to type
The same prefix on the bound objects	Backend Service prd-portal-web01, profile prd-portal-timeout	The ^prd-portal- search brings all the related objects; the Used in lists become readable
A distinguishing prefix for temporary services	tmp-, test-	Hidden from the list by turning on Negate in the Name column with Column Search
Team or customer name	prd-ekipa-portal-https	The Alt+T quick search works by name

• Since the type of a vService cannot be changed later, showing the type in the name is safe (Can I change the type of a vService later?).
• In the list, the Filter panel provides name-independent filtering with the Status, Type, WAF and IP cards.

vService Name in TR7

The name is given in the Name field of the vService form and is changed from the same field; in WEB-CLI, it is the required name field of the lb service add command (lb service · Required Fields). A name change is recorded in User Logs and in the Log tab of the vService (How do I see the change history of a single vService or Backend Service?).

Common Misconceptions

• "A vService is found by typing the IP in Alt+T." The quick search does not find vServices by IP; to search by IP, the search on the list screen is used.
• "Changing the name later is always without interruption." On a Network vService, a name change restarts the vService; the change is made at a low-traffic time.
• "The name can be changed independently of the type, and the type also changes later." The type cannot be changed; for a different type, a new vService is created.

How it is done in the documentation

• HTTP (L7) vService · Name
• vService · Filter
• Network vService · Save

Related questions

• How do search, RegExp search and column-based search work on list screens?
• How is a quick search done in the menu and across vServices (Alt+T)?
• Can I change the type of a vService later?