Azure Data Factory and Azure Synapse Analytics Naming Conventions

by Jul 5, 2020

Naming ConventionsAzure Naming Conventions

More and more projects are using Azure Data Factory and Azure Synapse Analytics, the more important it is to apply a correct and standard naming convention. When using standard naming conventions you create recognizable results across different projects, but you also create clarity for your colleagues. In addition to that, it is easier to add these projects to other services such as Managed Services, Azure DevOps,  etc etc,  because standards are used.

To start with these naming conventions, I have made a list of suggestions with most common Linked Services. The list is not exhaustive, but it does provide guidance for new Linked Services.

There are a few standard naming conventions that apply to all elements in Azure Data Factory and in Azure Synapse Analytics.

  • *Names are case insensitive (not case sensitive).  For that reason I’m only using CAPITALS.
  • *Maximum number of characters in a table name: 260.
  • All object names must begin with a letter, number or underscore (_).
  • Following characters are not allowed: “.”, “+”, “?”, “/”, “<”, ”>”,”*”,”%”,”&”,”:”,”\”

These rules are also defined on the following link

This post has been updated on Feb 2nd, 2023 with the latest connectors.

Azure

Abbreviation Linked Service Dataset
Azure Blob Storage ABLB_ LS_ABLB_ DS_ABLB_
Azure Cosmos DB SQL API ACSA_ LS_ACSA_ DS_ACSA_
Azure Cosmos DB MongDB API ACMA_ LS_ACMA_ DS_ACMA_
Azure Data Explorer ADEX_ LS_ADEX_ DS_ADEX_
Azure Data Lake Storage Gen1 ADLS_ LS_ADLS_ DS_ADLS_
Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 ADLS_ LS_ADLS_ DS_ADLS_
Azure Database for MariaDB AMDB_ LS_AMDB_ DS_AMDB_
Azure Database for MySQL AMYS_ LS_AMYS_ DS_AMYS_
Azure Database for PostgreSQL APOS_ LS_APOS_ DS_APOS_
Azure File Storage AFIL_ LS_AFIL_ DS_AFIL_
Azure Search ASER_ LS_ASER_ DS_ASER_
Azure SQL Database ASQL_ LS_ASQL_ DS_ASQL_
Azure SQL Database Managed Instance ASQM_ LS_ASQM_ DS_ASQM_
Azure Synapse Analytics (formerly Azure SQL DW) ASDW_ LS_ASDW_ DS_ASDW_
Azure Table Storage ATBL_ LS_ATBL_ DS_ATBL_
Azure DataBricks ADBR_ LS_ADBR_ DS_ADBR_
Azure Cognitive Search ACGS_ LS_ACGS DS_ACGS_
Azure Synapse Analytics  ASA_ LS_ASA DS_ASA
Azure Cognitive Service ACG_ LS_ACG_ N/A

 

Database

     
  Abbreviation Linked Service Dataset
SQL Server  MSQL_ LS_SQL_ DS_SQL_
Oracle ORAC_ LS_ORAC_ DS_ORAC_
Oracle Eloqua ORAE_ LS_ORAE_ DS_ORAE_
Oracle Responsys ORAR_ LS_ORAR_ DS_ORAR_
Oracle Service Cloud ORSC_ LS_ORSC_ DS_ORSC_
MySQL MYSQ_ LS_MYSQ_ DS_MYSQ_
DB2 DB2_ LS_DB2_ DS_DB2_
Teradata  TDAT_ LS_TDAT_ DS_TDAT_
PostgreSQL POST_ LS_POST_ DS_POST_
Sybase SYBA_ LS_SYBA_ DS_SYBA_
Cassandra CASS_ LS_CASS_ DS_CASS_
MongoDB MONG_ LS_MONG_ DS_MONG_
Amazon Redshift ARED_ LS_ARED_ DS_ARED_
SAP Business Warehouse SAPW_ LS_SAPW_ DS_SAPW_
SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C) SAPC_ LS_SAPC_ DS_SAPC_
SAP Table SAPT_ LS_SAPT DS_SAPT_
SAP HANA HANA_ LS_HANA_ DS_HANA_
Drill DRILL_ LS_DRILL_ DS_DRILL_
Google BigQuery GBQ_ LS_GBQ_ DS_GBQ_
Greenplum GRPL_ LS_GRPL_ DS_GRPL_
HBase HBAS_ LS_HBAS_ DS_HBAS_
Hive HIVE_ LS_HIVE_ DS_HIVE_
Apache Impala IMPA_ LS_IMPA_ DS_IMPA_
Informix INMI_ LS_INMI_ DS_INMI_
MariaDB MDB_ LS_MDB_ DS_MDB_
Microsoft Access MACS_ LS_MACS_ DS_MACS_
Netezza NETZ_ LS_NETZ_ DS_NETZ_
Phoenix PHNX_ LS_PHNX_ DS_PHNX_
Presto (Preview) PRST_ LS_PRST_ DS_PRST_
Spark SPRK_ LS_SPRK_ DS_SPRK_
Vertica VERT_ LS_VERT_ DS_VERT_
Snowflake SNWF_ LS_SNWF_ DS_SNWF_
MongoDB Atlas MONG_ATLAS_ LS_MONG_ATLAS_ DS_MONG_ATLAS_
Amazon RDS for Oracle RDSORAC_ LS_RDSORAC_ DS_RDSORAC_
Amazon RDS for SQL Server RDSSQL_ LS_RDSSQL_ DS_RDSSQL_

 

Files

     
  Abbreviation Linked Service Dataset
File System FILE_ LS_FILE_ DS_FILE_
HDFS HDFS_ LS_HDFS_ DS_HDFS_
Amazon S3  AMS3_ LS_AMS3_ DS_AMS3_
FTP FTP_ LS_FTP_ DS_FTP_
SFTP SFTP_ LS_SFTP_ DS_SFTP_
Google Cloud Storage GCS_ LS_GCS_ DS_GCS_
Oracle Cloud Storage OCS_ LS_OCS_ DS_OCS_
Amazon S3 Compatible Storage SMS3C_ LS_SMS3C_ DS_SMS3C_

 

Generic

     
  Abbreviation Linked Service Dataset
Generic ODBC ODBC_ LS_ODBC_ DS_ODBC_
Generic OData  ODAT_ LS_ODAT_ DS_ODAT_
Generic REST REST_ LS_REST_ DS_REST_
Generic HTTP HTTP_ LS_HTTP_ DS_HTTP_

 

Services and Apps

Abbreviation Linked Service Dataset
Salesforce SAFC_ LS_SAFC_ DS_SAFC_
Salesforce Service Cloud SAFCSC_ LS_SAFCSC_ DS_SAFCSC_
Salesforce Marketing Cloud SAFOMC_ LS_SAFOMC_ DS_SAFOMC_
GitHub GITH_ LS_GITH_ DS_GITH_
Jira JIRA_ LS_JIRA_ DS_JIRA_
Web Table (table from HTML)  WEBT_ LS_WEBT_ DS_WEBT_
Amazon Marketplace Web Service AMSMWS_ LS_AMSMWS_ DS_AMSMWS_
Xero XERO_ LS_XERO_ DS_XERO_
SharePoint Online List SHAREPOINT_ LS_SHAREPOINT_ DS_SHAREPOINT_
ServiceNow SERVICENOW_ LS_SERVICENOW_ DS_SERVICENOW_
Dynamics (Microsoft Dataverse) DATAVERSE_ LS_DATAVERSE_ DS_DATAVERSE__
Dynamics 365 D365_ LS_D365_ DS_D365_
Dynamics AX DAX_ LS_DAX_ DS_DAX_
Dynamics CRM DCRM_ LS_DCRM_ DS_DCRM_
Microsoft 365 M365_ LS_M365_ Ds_M365__
SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C) SAPC4C_ LS_SAPC4C_ DS_LS_SAPC4C_
SAP ECC SAPE_ LS_SAPE_ DS_SAPE_

If your connector is not described(mostly connectors which are in Preview), please let me know. For more details for all the different connectors, check the connector overview

Pipeline

Even for Pipeline you can define naming conventions. I think the most important thing is that you always start your pipeline with PL_ followed by a Logic Name for you. You can for example use:

TRANS: Pipeline with transformations

SSIS: Pipeline with SSIS Packages

DATA: Pipeline with DataMovements

COPY: Pipeline with Copy Activities

Divers

NB: Notebook 

DF: Mapping Dataflows

SQL: SQL Scripts

KQL: KQL Scripts

JOB: Spark job definition

Once again these naming conventions are just suggestions. The most important thing is that you start using naming conventions and that you use the folder structure within the Pipelines (categories). Like the picture below as an example.

FolderStructure

If you have suggestions just let me know by leaving a comment below.

Feel free to leave a comment

11 Comments

  1. Robbin h

    And how to define triggers ;)?

    Reply
    • Erwin

      HI Robbin, my triggers are always named like Daily/Weekly/Monthly followed by the name of the Pipeline. This way you keep it clear. I never link multiple Pipelines to the same Trigger.

      Reply
  2. Koen

    I’m wondering, Erwin, why do you use abbreviations?

    I’ve found that modern systems don’t really have a limit on number of characters. In Ye Olden Days those limits enforced abbreviations, modern systems don’t have this limitation.
    I’ve also found that the context-sensitivity of abbreviations means they make reading and interpreting the names more difficult.

    Wouldn’t it make sense, in the interest of legibility, to use the full name of just about everything?

    What is the advantage of
    LS_ABLB
    over
    LinkedService_AzureBlobStorage
    ?

    I can see a point in abbreviating LinkedService to LS; I mean; it should be clear from the context that this is a linked service. But ABLB, to me, is a lot harder to read and interpret than AzureBlobStorage. The result is that doing maintenance will be more difficult on the former than on the latter.

    Reply
    • Erwin

      Dear Koen,

      These naming conventions are more of a guideline. I use them in this way to at least ensure that all LinkedServices / DataSets / Pipelines are built in a consistent way, but also that you can validate them with Test scripts in Azure Dev Ops.
      The most important thing about this blog is that you do it the same everywhere, if you use a different name for this, that is of course no problem. Most abbreviations are easily translatable to the correct Azure Service, especially if you work with it on a daily basis.

      Reply
  3. Manuel

    Excellent article!
    How do you suggest define folder structures with pipelines? I think two general areas: Staging and DWH and categorized them by project/DDBB..¿?

    Reply
    • Erwin

      Happy to hear that Manual. You suggestion is a good one.

      Currently I’m using, And then you can still create a new sub for project. But probably you have also shared recourses across you different projects, so then my advice is then to add a Shared Project folder

      01.Datalake
      01.Control
      02.Command
      03.Execute
      02.Deltalake
      01.Control
      02.Command
      03.Execute
      03.DataStore
      01.Control
      02.Command
      03.Execute
      Work In Progress

      Let me know you findings

      Reply
  4. Hennie

    Very well written Erwin! Keep m coming. I miss snowflake 😉 LS_SNOW_?

    Reply
    • Erwin

      Good one Hennie, I need to take some to review all the new sources

      Reply
  5. Rohan

    Hi Erwin, when we link a datalake to Synapse it automatically adds linked services for datalake with names as -WorkspaceDefaultStorage. How do we change it to our naming conventions?

    Reply
    • Erwin

      Hi,

      You cannot, you need to leave them as they are. There’s no option yet to override these values as they belong to the initial deployment.

      Reply

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