Consistent Network Device Naming Explained

Consistent Network Device Naming is a convention for naming Ethernet adapters in Linux.

It was created around 2009 to replace the old naming scheme that caused problems on multihomed machines because the network interface controllers (NICs) would be named based on the order in which they were found by the kernel as it booted. Removing existing or adding new interfaces could cause the previously added ones to change names.[1] An Engineering Change Request was submitted to the PCI SIG firmware group on how system firmware can provide device naming to operating systems via the ACPI interface.[2]

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Adoption

The convention was implemented for Dell in a module called .[3]

Among the first major Linux distributions to adopt the module were Fedora 15 in May 2011[4] [5] and Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 6.1.[6] [7] It was also released in SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 Service Pack 2 in February 2012. The newer Dell PowerEdge and Dell Precision models support the new names.

An open-source implementation is available, based on the udev mechanism.[8] [9] Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 started using systemd for networking.[10]

Device naming rules

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Network Device Naming mechanism and policy . October 9, 2009 . Matt Domsch . LWN . Eklektix, Inc . May 27, 2013 .
  2. Web site: Archived copy . 2017-02-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170106042937/https://pcisig.com/sites/default/files/specification_documents/ECR_Slot_Naming-10.pdf . 2017-01-06 . dead .
  3. Web site: Fedora 15 Changing The Network Device Naming Scheme . Digitizer Linux News . January 25, 2011 . May 27, 2013 .
  4. Web site: Fedora 15 boosts Linux security . eSecurity Planet . Sean Michael Kerner . May 20, 2011 . May 27, 2013 . dead . https://archive.today/20130122231054/http://www.esecurityplanet.com/news/article.php/3934151/Fedora-15-Boosts-Linux-Security.html/ . January 22, 2013 .
  5. News: Joe Brockmeier . Breaking a few eggs: Fedora 15 changes network device naming. Fedora 15 pioneering consistent network device naming . Network World . January 24, 2011 .
  6. Web site: Appendix A. Consistent Network Device Naming . Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 documentation . May 27, 2013 .
  7. Web site: Consistent Network Device Naming in Linux . July 2012 . Narendra K . Dell Linux Engineering division . May 27, 2013 .
  8. Web site: Biosdevname - Consistent Network Device Naming . May 27, 2013 .
  9. Web site: Consistent Network Device Naming . Project web site . Fedora . Matt Domsch and Jordan Hargrave . May 27, 2013 .
  10. Web site: Understanding network persistent device naming in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 . 2017-03-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170328212000/http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2014/08/07/understanding-network-persistent-device-naming-in-red-hat-enterprise-linux-7 . 2017-03-28 . dead .
  11. RHCSA & RHCE Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7: Training and Exam Preparation Guide (EX200 and EX300), Third Edition Paperback – 27 Mar 2015by Asghar Ghori

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