Social Security Administration, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21207-0696 Attn:1-E-4 GWNO/Ms. Joanne Tarr

70 -- NETWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE POC Ms. Joanne Tarr tel: (410) 965-9474 The Social Security Administration (SSA) presently employs IBM's proprietary SNA Network Management System software, host-based Netview (also called Netview MVS), as the network management system operating on the Agency's mainframe processors. SSA is in the process of procuring 56,500 intelligent workstations, network servers, a variety of software running on the workstations and servers, 1742 LANs, and associated CAUs, LAMs, bridges, matrix switches and other equipment and services. This procurement will bring not only a vast amount of new hardware and software into SSA's offices, but also a variety of network management protocols that SSA must integrate into its existing network management system. THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION is seeking vendors that can provide the tools to enable Netview MVS to serve as a single focal point, consolidating the management of various hardware and software platforms. The consolidation of network management information and control is essential to effective centralized systems support for a network of the size, scope and diversity of SSANet. Therefore, in order to integrate with SSA's host-based Netview, the Agency requires specific network management system software and hardware capabilities and features. The mandatory requirements follow. Requirements: This requirement is to provide a comprehensive network management system integration platform, supporting diverse, multi-vendor devices. SSA requires a platform that will provide enterprise management and control and integration of Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agents into the SNA, Netview MVS management platform. This will enable SSA to provide open interfaces for non-SNA network management systems, which cannot be directly interfaced to Netview MVS. The hardware and software (preinstalled) that provide this capability are required. The required platform will serve a variety of functions, as follows: must perform as the network management interface agent for the 7 matrix switches (which will support 1742 LANs) to host-based Netview; must manage the SNMP agents that will be offered in response to the various procurements mentioned previously; must integrate diverse enterprise network topology systems; must integrate network management of Unix operating system database servers that are being acquired to pilot SSA-developed application software; must act as a service point to host-based Netview, providing a bi-directional command/response interface; and must integrate any future SNMP agents that may be introduced into SSA's network. In so doing, the required software must fully integrate with SSA's legacy host-based Netview. Additional specific requirements include the following: Must provide full APPN support (i.e., allows the hardware platform to function as a LEN node, End node or Network node); must include Application Program Interfaces to send and receive Network Management Vector Transport data between this platform (which manages SNMP agents) and the SSCP on the mainframe; must translate non-SNA network alarms and command language to SNA format and transmit them to Netview MVS using, at SSA's option, either LU 6.2 or an SSCP-PU session; must filter traps received from SNMP agents, convert them to SNA alerts and send them to Netview MVS; must accept and execute commands from Netview MVS and send responses back; must allow the user to define the contents of alerts sent from this platform to host-based Netview; must be able to manage and monitor IP, Novell IPX and Netbios devices from this platform; must allow dynamic network discovery, to maintain a current view of the network topology; must directly forward alerts to Netview MVS without the installation of any additional mainframe products; must be able to offload the data collection fuction necessary for systems monitoring to a device in the network via subagents communicating with the systems monitor. The hardware platform must support software that fulfills all the above requirements, and at a minimum, include the following features; internal SCSI-2 controller, two SCSI-2 Fast/Wide adapters, 66 MHz clock rate, Token Ring network adapter, 256 MB RAM, 5.0 GB 8MM internal tape drive, internal CD-ROM, 3.5 inch 1.44 MB floppy disk drive, two 1.0 GB SCSI-2 disk drives, 8-bit graphics adapter, 19 inch color monitor, US 101-keys keyboard and 3-button mouse. Additionally, SSA has a separate requirement for the same family of hardware but supporting different software. Those requirements are the following: must support IBM's AIX version 3.2.5 operating system and NetSp Secured Network gateway software, 80 MHz clock rate, 8 MM tape drive, CD ROM, 3 1/2 inch floppy drive, 256 MB RAM 4 GB Disk Storage, 2 Token Ring Network adapter cards, 16 bit internal SCSI adapter, 17 inch color display with 101-key U.S. keyboard and mouse. SSA knows of only one set of products that fulfills the network management requirements; The IBM RISC System/6000 (model 7013-590 'LIC' RISC System/6000) and monintor (model 6091-191 Resolution Color Monitor) running the following IBM software; AIX V3 for RISC System/6000 with CD-ROM Hypertext; AIX SNA Server/6000; AIX Windows Environment/6000; AIX LAN Management Utilities/6000; AIX Netview Service Point; Netview for AIX V3; and System Monitor AIX V2. The only hardware platform that SSA is aware of that meets the requirements for supporting the IBM NetSp Secured Network Gateway software is IBM RISC System/6000 (model C-10). Vendors capable of providing an equivalent product with the salient characteristics, and mandatory specifications as stated above are invited to submit complete information, product descriptions, pricing, brochures, and GSA schedules (if applicable) about their product. Interested parties must respond to this notice in writing within 15 calendar days from the date of this publication. Please refer to NETVIEW/JT. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR PRODUCT INFORMATION ONLY! THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP). No contract award will be made on the basis of responses received; however information will be used in SSA's assessment of capable sources. The Government does not intend to pay for information received. REQUESTS FOR COPIES OF A SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE HONORED OR ACKNOWLEDGED. (0122)

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