SOURCES SOUGHT
D -- REPORT DISTRIBUTION SOFTWARE
- Notice Date
- 7/27/2004
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541519
— Other Computer Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Defense Information Systems Agency, Acquisition Directorate, DITCO-Scott, 2300 East Drive Bldg 3600, Scott AFB, IL, 62225-5406
- ZIP Code
- 62225-5406
- Solicitation Number
- DISA-RDS-RFI
- Response Due
- 8/20/2004
- Archive Date
- 9/4/2004
- Point of Contact
- Thomas Anson, Contracting Officer, Phone 618-229-9727, Fax 618-229-9177, - Thomas Anson, Contracting Officer, Phone 618-229-9727, Fax 618-229-9177,
- E-Mail Address
-
ansont@scott.disa.mil, ansont@scott.disa.mil
- Description
- This is a request for information (RFI) solicited by the Defense Information Systems Agency's (DISA) Computing Services (CS) for Report Distribution Services Software (RDS). DISA CS is in the process of building a Statement of Work (SOW) to competitively acquire a report distribution tool. To complete the internal process, we must build a business case to justify the purchase. Accomplishment of this requires information from you as the vendor. NOTE: This is not a portion of the Statement of Work and will not be utilized for product evaluation. The requested information is simply to assist us with obtaining tailored industry knowledge of report distribution products as well as with obtaining a ballpark budget estimate for your product(s). DISA CS has a requirement to provide software for the capture, archival, distribution, viewing, and management of documents throughout the enterprise. DISA CS expects the product(s) to provide superior performance, regardless of the application, platform, or the destination device requirements. This product shall provide a complete solution for z/OS report output and have the potential to also handle documents from distributed environments. The scope of this initiative is to establish and implement an enterprise wide, z/OS-centric reporting solution. DISA CS is dedicated to providing a Standard Operating Environment (SOE). The SOE is the accredited family of common computer hardware, executive software and policy/procedures that form the total operating environment. The primary objective of the SOE is to provide the most efficient processing environment to DISA CS customers at the least possible cost. A mature SOE capable of hosting and interfacing legacy applications and open system DII Common Operating Environment (COE) compliant systems will better support application interoperability and technology infusion. In order to accomplish report distribution today, DISA CS manages, operates, and in some cases has developed, software applications across a wide range of computing environments including mainframe, client/server and web. These applications have evolved independently over time and do not adhere to a consistent architecture. This inconsistency adversely impacts the cost of operations and maintenance, the ability for end-users to receive timely and accurate information, and the ability of the technical staff to accommodate changes, issues, or requests. The objective of the Report Distribution Services (RDS) project is to create a single integrated solution that is accessible worldwide, shares consistent data and processes, and distributes accurate and easily retrievable reports for all DISA CS customers. As a result, the enterprise will achieve cost savings, boost employee productivity, and derive workflow benefits from tighter integration between the document advances of hardcopy devices and business process software workflows. Any candidate solutions shall include a total life cycle management program that capitalizes on available commercial support and an available service delivery environment that will best meet our requirements given a total life cycle management approach from design to decommissioning. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS RFI OR TO OTHERWISE PAY FOR INFORMATION RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THIS RFI. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information not properly identified. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Whatever information is provided in response to this RFI will be used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for determining how to proceed in the acquisition process. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. It is anticipated that any solicitation resulting from this RFI will be issued as a full and open competition. The following information should be provided in responses to this RFI: 1.0 Description of how you would architect the following report distribution/print management environment: 1.1 General Description 1.1.1 A z/OS hosted, single vendor product suite that supports web access and includes a server-based, sub-centralized report repository. 1.1.2 The z/OS host will provide the primary centralized repository for reports, sysouts, other documents, etc. and tape based archives/backups. 1.1.3 Repository contents all to be available via secure (DoD CAC/PKI) z/OS sign-on (over SWA, Rumba, etc.). 1.1.4 Distributed servers must have the ability to access the repository contents via secure (DoD CAC/PKI) sign-ons. 1.1.5 Distributed servers may contain output generated from any number of platforms. 1.1.6 Distributed server output is backed up at the z/OS host side. 1.1.7 All archived output is automatically recalled upon request, regardless of where it was generated or stored. 1.1.8 Provide access for several thousand concurrent, active end-users and unlimited inactive end-users to the system is via a secure web based GUI only. 1.1.9 Function with absolutely NO PC based clients. 1.1.10 Provide Ad-Hoc report functionality to the end-users as a result of indexing on multiple fields/values for a logical page of reports. 1.1.11 Index data, allowing for more customized views of a report without reprogramming the report. 1.1.12 Transport data between the various platforms and users via a secure method. 1.2 Important End-User File Formats: 1.2.1 American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format ".txt" 1.2.2 Microsoft Word Document format ".doc" 1.2.3 Portable document format ".pdf" 1.2.4 Microsoft Excel Worksheet format ".xls." 1.2.5 Comma Separated Variable format ".csv" 1.2.6 File output sizes ranging from 1Kb to 3.5Gb. 1.3 General Output: 1.3.1 The output must be indexed and redundant. 1.3.2 The output may be archived on DASD for as long as 90 days. 1.3.3 The output may be archived on tape or virtual tape for as long as 10 years. 1.3.4 The output is still accessible to the end-user even once on tape. 1.4 Critical Issues: 1.4.1 Support as many as 25,000 concurrent active users. 1.4.2 Must support multiple LPARS in multiple physical locations. 1.4.3 Support the routing and/or reformatting of raw print streams such as AFP, ASCII, PCL, and PostScript. 1.4.4 Support the insertion of Xerox DJDE records. 2.0 Answers to the following questions: 2.1 Does your solution have the 'ability' to optionally display sysout in an SDSF type fashion ('?' command selection for presenting JOB sysout in sub-sections)? How? 2.2 Is your solution able to use grouping when providing access to reports? How? If so, please describe how you would achieve the following items: 2.2.1 Provide detailed administrative maintenance reports for report activity and distribution (i.e. user access, last reference, etc). 2.2.2 Accomplish individual or mass updates via batch or online with modeling. 2.2.3 Provide diverse print and export capabilities in both online and batch. 2.2.4 Provide a means to limit the viewing scope of users. 2.3 Will your solution allow for flexible auto archiving/migrating options and HSM SMS compatibility? How? If so, please describe how you would accomplish the following: 2.3.1 Z/OS based with web capabilities. 2.3.2 Automatically FTP report to various IP addresses for different reports. 2.3.3 Ability to track changes to user access rights or report distribution parameters. 2.4 Can your solution print from CICS Version 1.3 and above? How? If so, please address the following: 2.4.1 If applicable, how will a conversion be accomplished? 2.4.2 Are there any size or quantity limitations? 2.5 Is your solution capable of listing each job step in the invoking JCL and any JCL PROCs invoked? If so please describe how you would accomplish the following: 2.5.1 Capability of opening each step in the browse mode to determine exactly what occurred in that step. 2.5.2 Capability of recalling jobs from tape to disc. 2.6 Does your underlying database or data structure require a separate product license to support or maintain the report management product? Elaborate. 2.7 Can your solution run as multiple instances on a single LPAR? 2.8 How does your solution receive and archive reports from applications executing on another LPAR? 2.9 If possible, describe how your solution receives, archives and presents reports for on-line viewing using the following file formats: 2.9.1 FBA. 2.9.2 FBM. 2.9.3 AFP. 2.10 Does your solution facilitate generating a table of contents for a single report to enhance browsing of the report? How? 2.11 If possible, describe how your solution allows reports to be viewed from tape, or any other archive medium, without the report first being reloaded in full to primary DASD? 2.12 Using your solution how would reports be viewed without having access to TSO? 2.13 Does your solution generate a customized repository list of only reports that the viewer (user) is authorized to see? How? 2.14 Does your solution require a software client to provide access to the report viewer? If so, what is it? Does the client require a seat license? 2.15 Does the product support reports generated from UNIX system services? Explain. 2.16 Explain how reports are captured after being generated from an application program... (i.e. via JES or via user-defined dataset). 2.17 How does your solution deal with undefined or unregistered reports? 2.18 How does your solution handle migrating data to secondary storage? Does it have its own migration component or does it use the pre-existing facilities of DFHSM / FDR? What are the media choices for migrated data? 2.19 How does your solution send reports to a PC or server? 2.20 Does your solution include the ability to place hard-copy routing information into a database? Explain. 2.21 Does your solution provide batch job facilities to perform mass updates to the database? Elaborate. 2.22 Does your solution's repository accept input in real-time? For example, the repository pulls in reports without external, manual, or scheduled intervention? Describe. 2.23 Describe the SYSADMIN functions of your solution, specifically ease of maintaining the repository database. 2.24 Describe the SYSPROG installation and maintenance, specifically how often software is refreshed by the vendor. 2.25 What is your current customer base for your solution? How many customers do you maintain? 2.26 Will the solution print, archive, view, email, and send to PC or server without creating multiple copies of the data? How? 2.27 How does your solution interface with COBOL programs? 2.28 How does your solution interface with MB Foster REVEAL? 2.29 How does your solution add/modify/delete reports as needed? 2.30 How does your solution print reports as needed? 2.31 How does your solution handle routing specifics (i.e., by CAO - Contract Administration Office)? 2.32 How does your solution support the following: 2.32.1 View and print from the PC desktop. 2.32.2 Perform topic indexing. 2.32.3 Find/locate topics or items covering all existing digital documents of record libraries. 2.32.4 Single sign-on to one application. 2.32.5 Customization of client/web software. 2.32.6 Functions to display retention periods, refresh, print large and small, cut/paste, go to page, find text, date and time stamping of archive. 2.32.7 Note pad or included temp documents. 2.32.8 Workflow control archiving, develop working documents and storage of documents for record. 2.33 How does your solution support the following: 2.33.1 System administration functional controls from single identified control points. 2.33.2 User group identification and access, retention period vs. usage vs. regulations, account of load of aged documents and security classifications. 2.33.3 Utilizes the latest technology in archiving, file compression, storage, and 24/7 lights-out full recovery operations without loss of data. 2.33.4 Process all current output file structures for PC, Unix, Linux, z/0S, OS/390x, load leveling, statistical capacity planning, user monitoring tools, administer/control access, usage, printed output, and connectivity by library identification/location from defined points. 2.33.5 Administrator and systems customization as required. 2.33.6 Capacity planning tools to monitor archives and retention periods vs. usage and ageing analysis. 2.33.7 Vendor technical support structure. 16.2.1.1 Installation. 16.2.1.1 Problem resolution. 16.2.1.1 On site support. 16.2.1.1 Recommended configurations. 16.2.1.1 Down time. 2.33.8 Frequency of software technology updates, upgrades, conversions and patches. 2.33.9 Server batch processing support requirements and existing monitoring tools. 2.33.10 Server system processing on-site support expertise, i.e. z/OS, NT 4.0, Solaris, HP/UX, Linux. 2.33.11 Server software processing on-site expertise required to support vendor. i.e. XML, HTML WEB/JAVA, SAS. 2.34 How does your solution support Internet (TCP/IP) security features and encryptions? 2.35 What training is available for your solution? Installation/usage (all platforms) through end-user? List classes and schedules and approximate cost. 2.36 Address how your solution handles the following: 2.36.1 Capacity planning. 2.36.2 Compression techniques. 2.37 What storage equipment do you recommended for your solution? 2.38 What other software must be purchased/downloaded/or exist to support your solution? Is there any Freeware or unsupported software required? Provide an itemized list of ALL the products required to make your solution functional. Include your own products in this list. 2.39 What WEB Application server standards are recommend for the DISA environment to support your solution Please address specifically connectivity to all archives servers and down time. 2.40 Are there user forums or workgroups supporting your solution? If in existence, are these forums or workgroups supported by your company? When and where do they meet? Are the meetings technical in nature? 2.41 How do you advertise and release upgrades and new code for your solution? 2.42 How is your solution licensed? If a client is required for your solution, is it licensed by user or unlimited License? If required, is a client sold separately from the base solution? Hardware configuration required from Server to End-User and presentation? 2.43 Please describe the software configurations required from an Archive Document Server to an End-User for your solution? How do all the configurations stay compatible? 2.44 Would you describe your solution as user friendly? Why or why not? 2.45 Utilizing your solution how long are current and previous reports available to users? 2.46 Describe your solution's view, print, and download capabilities. 2.47 Describe your solution's data query and extraction process and capabilities. 2.48 Describe how your solution interfaces with external security products like Computer Associates Top Secret or IBM RACF and describe how your solution restricts access in general. 2.49 Explain in detail how your solution would impact the following characteristics of existing systems: 2.49.1 System report facilities. 2.49.2 Print formatting. 2.49.3 Report file creation. 2.49.4 Online report distribution. 2.49.5 Scheduling jobs to be run in conjunction with other systems. 2.50 On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the lowest, please rate your product in the area of adaptability from a previously used product to yours. It is understood you don't know the products currently being used, so some subjectivity is expected. 2.51 On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the lowest, please rate your product in the area of use. How easy is it for an average user to learn and use the product. 2.52 What is the intercept protocol used with your solution to capture report output, and once intercepted, what mechanism(s) are used for storage for the ultimate retrieval of the reports? 2.53 Explain how your solution handles reports disseminated from the mainframe to mid-tier or server machines located remotely from the mainframe. 2.54 Report protection is important. Access to systems/applications are provided through mainframe and mid-tier security packages. What package(s) does your solution interface with and how easy is it to implement with said security package(s)? 2.55 Does your solution support the ability to pass print from existing processes via an additional PROC or utility function to feed the system? How? 2.56 How does your solution print files to various servers such that soft copies of print can be archived and restored and printed as needed? 2.57 Does your solution have the capacity to run on the z/OS host via Websphere Application Server? 3.0 Necessary Hardware. 4.0 Cost. 5.0 Licensing Options. Responses to this RFI are due by 20 August 2004 and shall be sent electronically to westbroc@den.disa.mil. All questions concerning this RFI shall be directed to Chris Westbrook, 303-676-1629, westbroc@den.disa.mil.
- Place of Performance
- Address: DISA Computing Services - Logistics, 5775 DTC Blvd, Suite 350, Greenwood Village, CO
- Zip Code: 80111
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 80111
- Record
- SN00630912-W 20040729/040727211558 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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