SOURCES SOUGHT
D -- Disaster Recovery Site for USDA/NITC
- Notice Date
- 4/6/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 518210
— Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Office of Procurement and Property Management, Procurement Operations Division, 300 7th Street, S.W., Room 377, Reporters Building, Washington, DC, 20024
- ZIP Code
- 20024
- Solicitation Number
- RFI-OPPM-06-0005
- Response Due
- 4/28/2006
- Archive Date
- 5/13/2006
- Description
- 1.0 GENERAL The National Information Technology Center (NITC) provides hosting services and solutions for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other non-USDA customers. The NITC requests information from federal and commercial vendors about facilities capable of supporting Government data center disaster recovery operations. This Request for Information (RFI) is intended solely to assist the NITC in analyzing alternatives and options in the area of information technology disaster recovery. 1.1 Overview The NITC is a part of USDA's Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). The mission of NITC is to enable Government agencies to achieve their missions by providing innovative, cost effective, and secure information technology solutions. The NITC provides information management services and technology to support the missions of the USDA and its agencies (including Farm Service Agency (FSA), Rural Development (RD), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Forest Service (FS), and others), and other non-USDA Government clients [including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and General Services Administration (GSA)]. The NITC headquarters is located in Kansas City, Missouri, with employees also stationed in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the Washington D.C. area. The NITC is a centralized computing facility of mainframe and mid-range platforms, software and support. NITC customers access their services from remote locations throughout the continental United States via private and public networks. The applications that run in the NITC environment are national in scope and importance, directly serving approximately 125,000 end users. The NITC works closely with customers to provide the technical resources, the expertise and the processing environments critical to the success of their applications. For more information on NITC, see www.ocio.usda.gov/nitc/index.html. 1.2 Background The NITC is researching the feasibility of establishing a secure and expandable Disaster Recovery Site. The NITC hosts and supports a wide spectrum of mission critical applications in its data center environments. In order to be responsive to its customers? needs in the area of Disaster Recovery, the NITC must consider new approaches for recovering its complex, multi-platform workload. 1.3 Objective The NITC seeks to identify Level IV security rated facilities with an infrastructure designed to support a multi-platform information technology environment. At a potential facility, the NITC would house and manage computer equipment supporting NITC customers if/when the NITC?s Kansas City, Missouri primary facility is disabled. The potential environment would need to be continuously available for NITC operations. Initially the NITC would conduct both scheduled and unannounced disaster recovery exercises at this facility. 2.0 Environment The NITC's primary data center is located at 8930 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri 64114-3363. The NITC currently contracts disaster recovery services from the IBM Business Continuity and Recovery Services Center in Boulder, Colorado. The NITC has custodial responsibility for the equipment housed at its facilities; therefore, physical and personnel security practices are a NITC priority. The NITC must also respond quickly to its customers' changing needs and priorities. For purposes of this RFI, the NITC would remotely manage equipment at the potential disaster recovery site location, but would also need limited operational support (tape technicians, security escorts for service engineers, etc.) whenever physical intervention or interface is needed. 3.0 Request for Information The NITC requests technical information and general cost estimates regarding the respondent's ability to provide a computer facility and described support services. 3.1 Response Instructions Please submit your responses in electronic format utilizing this MS Word document in Sections 3.2 and 3.3. (Microsoft Word 2002 or later, font Times New Roman 12, color blue) to Mr. Scott C. Wolz, Contracting Officer, e-mail address scott.wolz@usda.gov, and cc: NITC Lead Systems Analyst, Mr. Philip Gehrt, e-mail address Philip.Gehrt@usda.gov, by close of business Friday, April 28, 2006. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Although responses should be concise and complete, additional supporting information in electronic format is allowed, up to a 10-page maximum, not including the questionnaire responses. Please do not provide brochures or other prepared marketing materials. Please include your organization name and RFI number (from title page) on all submitted documentation. All data designated as corporate or proprietary information will be fully protected from release outside the government. The NITC is looking for input to assist in moving forward with a cost effective solution for its customers. Therefore, it is important that your response addresses the specific requirements included in this document, pricing estimates, and any other relevant information or capabilities that would support or enhance the NITC's analysis. 3.2 Vendor Profile Please provide a description of your organization, points-of-contact, and locations of your headquarters and data center(s). Organization: Point of Contact for RFI & phone#: Headquarters location: Data Center location(s): 3.3 Questions and Responses by Functional Area The NITC has separated its questions into four primary areas of inquiry: Security ? These questions pertain to the federal requirements that must be met in order for the NITC to utilize any data center, government or commercial. This includes the security baseline established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in order to meet additional security requirements (i.e. to comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and with mandatory government requirements to conduct Certification and Accreditation (C&A) activities). Infrastructure ? These questions pertain to the facility itself, including location, physical plant characteristics and security, as well as infrastructure and telecommunications characteristics. Services ? These questions pertain to the data center?s managed services and related policies. Business Management ? These questions pertain primarily to agreements and general pricing of the overall hosting environment, with more specific pricing requests for additional features or services. Security Questions S-1 Does your data center operation comply with NIST and FISMA standards? Do you currently support any federal customers that have a high security baseline based on NIST / FISMA regulations? If so, please elaborate. Response: S-2 Are you familiar with the physical security classifications set forth in the Department of Justice Facility Security Level Determination? If so, at what level do you currently operate?What designation of physical security does your facility meet under NIST / FISMA regulations? Response: S-3 Do you require personnel working in your facility to submit to background investigations? If so, please describe the clearance levels required, for which personnel and what purpose, and the roles within your organization these people serve. Response: S-4 Please describe your physical security processes and procedures. (For example, a hardware technician requires access to equipment in the facility....please describe how security practices are enforced during the visit.)Do these processes/procedures comply with any particular industry standard? Response: S-5 Are you familiar with the Government's mandatory requirement to perform C&A for all general support systems (GSS)? Can you comply with and participate in that initial undertaking? Can you comply with and participate in an update of this process every three years thereafter or whenever a significant change in the GSS is made? Response: S-6 Please describe your incident handling and reporting processes. (Include automated tools used for tracking, reporting, etc.) Response: S-7 Please describe how monitoring of the facility and data center are accomplished, including policies on videotaping. Response: S-8 Please describe the authentication process and supporting systems for allowing entrance into the facility. Describe the procedure for site visits to the data center, both unannounced and with prior notification. Response: S-9 Can you accommodate a segregated computer room where only appropriately cleared personnel have access? If so, please describe the measures you would implement or have already implemented. Response: S-10 Do you have a logging mechanism or procedure for documenting each access to a customer's space? To cabinets? If so, please describe in detail. Response: S-11 Please describe your security procedures with regard to shipments and deliveries. Are deliveries subject to x-ray? If so, is the area in which this is performed physically separate from the data center itself? Do you have a staffed mailroom operation within the same building as the data center? Any unique requirements for shipping or receiving to and from the facility? Response: S-12 Do you have a security training program currently in place? If so, please describe. Response S-13 In general, please describe your standard operating procedures when a disaster is declared. Do you have documented disaster recovery/business continuity plans? How often are these plans tested? Lessons learned? Response: S-14 Describe your emergency response process. Do you have support agreements in place with community first responders in case of emergency? Infrastructure Questions I-1 Is your data center?s location subject to potential for flooding and/or other severe weather? If so, what provisions have you made to mitigate these risks?Is the data center in a location other than the ground floor of the building? Does it have window access? Is it in line with takeoff/landing flight paths of any nearby airports? Is it close to railroad yards or commercial trucking depots? Is there adequate parking at the facility? Is there a parking lot at the facility and how is admittance to the lot controlled for motor vehicles? Response: I-2 Does the facility have a loading dock area? If so, please describe the doorways that lead from your loading dock area into your data center. Are they security-controlled? How tall and wide are they? Will they accommodate transfer of a mainframe computer on wheels without dismantling doorframes or maglock sets? Would a large semi-truck have sufficient access to your loading dock area with ample room to turn around? Response: I-3 What level of power redundancy does the data center have? Diverse dual entrances (incoming feeders enter at two different and separated locations in the building)? Separate power grids? Multiple power providers? Response: I-4 Please describe your ability to minimize impact to customers if the data center experiences a power outage. If a backup power source is used: Please describe the source and how switchover occurs in the event of an outage of the primary source. What is the capacity for any equipment that uses on-site stored fuel? Type of fuel? How long can this backup source run without replenishing the fuel supply? How is the fuel supply replenished? Does the backup power source also supply power to data center HVAC units and lighting? What is the capacity of the source? It the source redundant? How long can the backup source carry the full load of the data center without servicing (exclusive of refueling)? Do you maintain a top priority, fast response service/repair contract for the backup source? Are records kept to document power-related service impairments sustained in this facility? Response: I-5 Describe your data center?s HVAC system. What percentage of load does this system currently handle? (i.e. more than 50% or less than 50%) What is the average ambient temperature and relative humidity in the data center space? How are the levels of temperature and humidity controlled? Is the HVAC redundant? If the floor is raised, can the presence of water under the floor be detected Is there any overhead utility plumbing above the data center? Response: I-6 Please describe your systems for fire prevention, detection, and suppression. Response: I-7 Do you maintain preventive maintenance and emergency services contracts on all major infrastructure assets including HVAC, UPS, battery plants, and fire suppression systems? If so, briefly describe. Response: I-8 Describe the cabling plant in your data center. Is cabling done under the floor, and if so, is any separation made between high/low voltage cabling and fiber optic cabling? Is cabling done overhead? If so, by what methods are high and low voltage cabling separated? Are outbound analog phone lines available in the data center space for automatic equipment "phone home" (Remote Diagnostic Facility) features? Response: I-9 Describe the floor in your data center. What is the load capacity of the floor in pounds-per-square-feet? What is the raised floor height? What are the ceiling heights? Response: I-10 Does your telecommunication infrastructure meet the standards published in TIA-942 (Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers)? Response: I-11 Can you support AT&T, MCI, and Sprint connectivity? Do you have carrier co-location or a carrier co-located POP in your data center? Which carriers provide this sort of access? What connection types/protocols can be supported? Frame relay? Point to point dedicated data? Response: I-12 For major carriers with dedicated facilities in your data center, do you have physically separate fiber entrance facilities? Do major carriers, if present, operate on expanded (physically separate and diverse) SONET ring topology between your location and the carrier's backbone network? Response: I-13 For any carriers with collocated access into your data center, is that access provided by direct-buried fiber, aerial fiber, or a mixture? If applicable, how is the direct-buried fiber protected? What are the single points of failure for your telecommunications access network? (fibers sharing leased duct, fiber cable terminating in common LEC central offices, sharing rights of way, etc.) Response: I-14 How is telecom fiber optic terminal equipment and associated mux/demux and router(s) powered? (i.e. Does carrier power this equipment with independent battery strings, additional UPS gear, etc?) Response: I-15 What is the point of demarcation (for interconnection and maintenance responsibility) between each carrier and the data center network? Response: I-16 What network management information do you get from the carriers (i.e. would you be aware of errors being registered at the carrier's Network Management Center or does the carrier advise you of problems as they develop)? Response: I-17 Do you have a repair Service Level Agreement with the carriers? Response: I-18 How much spare bandwidth on existing facilities could you offer initially If one OC-12 SONET circuit on one carrier and two OC-3 SONET circuits on another carrier were required, would that require additional facilities build-out or could existing telecom infrastructure support that amount of bandwidth? How much lead time would be required to increase or reduce the available bandwidth? Response: I-19 Do you follow documented, repeatable, standard operating procedures for scheduling facility and equipment maintenance? Are your schedules available in advance to your customers? Are maintenance periods/schedules negotiable? Response: I-20 The NITC may require approximately 38,000 square feet of space within a facility suitable for information technology equipment. Is this space currently available at your site? If not, please explain. Response: I-21 The NITC Phase 1 equipment list may include one IBM z/990 mainframe and HMC; 1 fully expanded DASD frame with HMC; 5 rack cabinets of network and security monitoring hardware; 1 automated tape library (8 tape drives) with Library management unit and IBM 3174 communications controllers; one FICON Director cabinet; 50 rack cabinets of various platforms of midrange server hardware; and 6 racks of IBM blade servers. Describe your capability to host this equipment. Response: I-22 Describe your capability to provide an operation command post suite suitable for the following: 20 technicians; 20 internet access drops; 10 access drops linked to the NITC network; wireline telephone service.Is the command center situated such that wireless (cellular) phone coverage is possible without signal degradation or interference with critical systems? Which major wireless carriers have coverage that extends into the command center space? Response: I-23 What are your standard power drops? Can you provide the following:110V 30A circuits? 125V 30A circuits? 208V 30A circuits? 208V-60A circuits?Do you provide hard-wired connections? Can single-phase and three-phase power be provided?What other power options do you provide?Power must be redundant from different power sources. How many power panels are available for equipment and HVAC? Are UPSs available? If so, what is its/their capacity?How quickly can a new power drop be added? Response: Services Questions V-1 Are you currently CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) certified? ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certified? Certified/audited by some other body? If so, please describe. Response: V-2 The NITC may require 90+ hours of support (tape operator, escort, and physical intervention) per month. Are you able to provide that service? Response: V-3 Do you allow customers or their contractors to perform cabling within the data center? If not, please stipulate the types of data center services for which we would be required to contract with you/your contractor. Are charges for these services separate or are they imbedded in the charges for using the facility? Response: Business Management Questions B-1 Are you able to commit to an annual contract with optional extension periods? For government, are you able to execute interagency agreements? Response: B-2 If the NITC were faced with rapidly expanding requirements, would you be able to respond accordingly? For example: please describe how you would address a growth of 10% per year for five years. Response: B-3 The NITC is also evaluating the feasibility of establishing a dual data center where operational capability is available on demand. Can you support this level of availability? What are your facility's current hours of operation Do you furnish a customer phone support or help desk function? If so, what hours is it routinely staffed and what are normal response times? Response: B-4 Describe the community resources (i.e. hotels, grocery, medical facilities, banks, etc.) that are in close proximity for the use of NITC technicians in event of a disaster relocation. Response: B-5 Do you have a GSA Schedule contract or other Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) that would address the requirements within this RFI? If so, please list applicable contract numbers. Response: B-6 Please identify suggested NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes that could apply to the requirements within this RFI. Also provide your business size and type categories (e.g., small business, woman owned) Response: B-7 Please furnish a general cost estimate for the following components, if offered: 1) Square foot cost for floor space (estimated requirement is 38,000 sq ft): a. 0-10,000 sq ft; b. 10,001 ? 20,000 sq ft; c. 20,001 ? 30,000 sq ft; d. 30,001 ? 40,000 sq ft. 2) Service charges, if applicable; 3) Power drop; 4) Hourly rate (technician support). Response: B-8 Do you support additional lines of business that may be of interest to the NITC analysis involved in determining the feasibility of establishing a Disaster Recovery site? Response: 3.4 Miscellaneous: The USDA/OPPM/POD is seeking qualified vendors that have the disaster recovery site capability available through the GSA Federal Supply Schedule or other Government-wide Acquisition Contract(s). The USDA/OPPM/POD is also seeking potential federal government organizations that have disaster recovery site capability as described above. Pending the outcome of market research, if award is eventually made through the GSA Schedule or GWAC, the government anticipates a task order containing a base period with four, one year option periods. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. There is no solicitation document available. The government will not return or pay for information provided in response to this announcement.
- Place of Performance
- Address: To Be Determined
- Record
- SN01021894-W 20060408/060406220337 (fbodaily.com)
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