entityID and multiple application instances

[Brian Tingle]

This statement on the InCommon wiki has me confused:

https://spaces.internet2.edu/display/InCFederation/Entity+IDs

"A common misconception is that the entity ID must match the endpoint locations<https://spaces.internet2.edu/display/InCFederation/Endpoints+in+Metadata> for the deployment. This is not required and is often not the case. Unlike the endpoint locations, the entity ID accurately reflects the organization that owns the entity. Endpoint locations, on the other hand, are resolvable DNS names. An entity ID may or may not actually resolve to a web resource. (If it does, it is usually a page that describes the deployment.)"

As a matter of practice, the standard operating procedure in our shop is to maintain a "development" "stage" and "production" instance of every application.  Is that one entityID -- with three different "endpoint locations"?  At first I was reading the InCommon wiki to say I should have one entityID for all three, since one organization owns the entity.  But looking at the metadata in EntitiesDescriptor it looks like I should have one entityID for nuxeo-dev.cdlib.org, a second for nuxeo-stg.cdlib.org, and a third for nuxeo.cdlib.org?

Should one entityID be used for -dev, -stg, and production; or three?  If either option is possible; which is preferred? Should I think of the entityID as representing my application, a particular instance of my application, or something that reflects the organization that owns the application?

Thanks -- Brian
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