Products

Efficient package deployment and maintenance tools

"In the beginning there was the .tar.gz. Users had to compile each programme that they wanted to use on their GNU/Linux systems. When Debian was created, it was deemed necessary that the system include a method of managing the packages installed on the machine. The name dpkg was given to this system. Thus the famous `package' first came into being on GNU/Linux, a while before Red Hat decided to create their own `rpm' system.

A new dilemma quickly took hold of the minds of the makers of GNU/Linux. They needed a rapid, practical and efficient way to install packages that would manage dependencies automatically and take care of their configuration files while upgrading. Here again, Debian led the way and gave birth to APT, the Advanced Packaging Tool, which has since been ported by Conectiva for use with rpm and has been adopted by some other distributions. "
-- from the APT HOWTO Introduction

Zero licence & maintenance costs, but that's not all...

While the zero license and maintenance cost of Ubuntu Server Edition certainly plays a part in the reduction of your global spending, we recognise that the administration and upgrade costs are another significant part of IT business spending, So we've made our server as easy to maintain as possible. As we aim to make our operating system as low maintenance as possible, we provide you with the tools that let you set it up once and then forget about it.

The APT (advanced packaging tool) package management system allows you to get fast and reliable automated update mechanisms that you can control fully, and it covers not only the operating system but all of the open source packages that you install on top of it. Moreover, administrator can easily learn how to package any program and publish them in a private repository, so they manage the system as one unique component.
More about Debian packages in Ubuntu >>

Canonical's work with software partners also makes use of the APT functionalities so that added packages from the partner repository get updated at the same time. Additionally Canonical's Landscape allows you to manage these updates on multiple systems as easily as on one system.

Automated, controlled and fully-integrated package management is a key to lower TCO

Deploying new systems is time consuming and a repetive process that can be fully automated to easily provision new server in the most complex setups, The flexibility of the debian installer will allow fast network deployements or creation of custom cds, including any special configuration that may be required.
More about automated deployments >>

Of course, the evolution of your systems over time also plays a big part in your overall IT budget. For this reason our unique product life-cycle ensures that you can perform system upgrades in place time after time, at the pace you choose, without compromising the work you have have put in setting them up. The upgrade management is one of the amazing features in Ubuntu as we specially tune it to allow seemless upgrades from one LTS realease to another, including configuration upgrades.
More about the product life cycle >>

Also, when the time will come for you to migrate your services to new equipment, the versatility of our operating system and its wide coverage of hardware will ensure that you have real choices in terms of equipment and a seamless transition from one platform to the other.