In November 2003, it was decided that all new Unix servers will run Debian GNU/Linux, except where vendor support contracts require otherwise.
As of June 2006, more than 50 of our 90 central Unix servers run Debian.
These deliver services like email, DNS, DHCP, Radius, LDAP, web applications
and version control. For SURFnet, the
ISP for universities in The Netherlands, we deliver lots of services using the
Debian platform: the Mailman-based
SURFnet Secure List
Server the SURFnet Network
Detective; machines for implementing a backend for the SURFnet
Fedaratie
based upon the A-Select
Authentication System, and a OpenPGP Keyserver.
We've chosen Debian for its reliable security update availability, strong presence on the GNU/Linux server market, because of available knowledge and experience in the UvT sysadmin group, flexibility of the OS, no license costs (not even for security updates), and possibility to run a locally controlled software distribution server.