What is a virtual hostname?

A virtual hostname looks like a domain name but is actually an alias for a web site's real address. RU-Camden Information Technology uses them in conjunction with its WordPress multisite management.

If, for instance, an archaeology program set up a site on the multisite for departments, its real web address might be dept.camden.rutgers.edu/archaeology. The virtual hostname assigned to it might be archaeology.camden.rutgers.edu.

The virtual hostname format varies with the multisite installation. The most common formats are:

• dept.camden sites: departmentname.camden.rutgers.edu
• people.camden sites: lastname.rutgers.edu or firstnamelastname.rutgers.edu

For technical reasons related to security certificate management, the hostname must be *.camden.rutgers.edu, not *.rutgers.edu.