WCOSS_RFP_1305M4-19-R-NWWX001_(Clean_Version).docx

U.S. Department of Commerce

Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System (WCOSS)

High Performance Computing Services

Request for Proposal

RFP: 1305M4-19-R-NWWX001

June 28, 2019

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Acquisition and Grants Office Strategic Sourcing Acquisition Division

UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than item 7)

NOAA/AGO/SSAD/HPCC

1325 East West Highway, Bldg. SSMC2, Suite 11120 Silver Spring, MD 20910

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations “offer” and “offeror” mean “bid” and “bidder”.

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offer in original and _See Section L_ copies for furnishings the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in item 8, or if hand carried, in the depository located in __ See Section L______________________________ _________ until 3:00 PM EST local time August 14, 2019 (Hour) (Date) CAUTION – LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

OFFER (Must be fully completed by Offeror)

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within ______ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232-8)

14. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated):

FACILITY

16. NAME AND THE TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER (Type or print)

15b. TELEPHONE NUMBER

AWARD (To be completed by the Government)

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED

20. AMOUNT

21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

ITEM

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)

41 U.S.C 3304 (a) ( )

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

IMPORTANT – Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition is unusable

STANDARD FORM 33 (REV. 6/2014)

Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.214 (c)

(Base Ordering Period) High Performance Computing Services – Provide end-to-end services and ancillary purchasing capability for all necessary labor, expertise, hardware, software, facilities, utilities, and associated supplies and services to deliver operational supercomputing capabilities which shall constitute NOAA’s Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System (WCOSS), as further described in Section C.

Period of Performance:

_______, 2020 through _______, 2028

(Base Ordering Period – Special Funding) High Performance Computing Services – Provide end-to-end services and ancillary purchasing capability for all necessary labor, expertise, hardware, software, facilities, utilities, and associated supplies and services to deliver operational supercomputing capabilities which shall constitute NOAA’s Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System (WCOSS), as further described in Section C.

_______, 2020 through _______, 2028

(Option Period I) High Performance Computing Services – Provide end-to-end services and ancillary purchasing capability for all necessary labor, expertise, hardware, software, facilities, utilities, and associated supplies and services to deliver operational supercomputing capabilities which shall constitute NOAA’s Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System (WCOSS), as further described in Section C.

_______, 2028 through _______, 2030

(Option Period I – Special Funding) High Performance Computing Services – Provide end-to-end services and ancillary purchasing capability for all necessary labor, expertise, hardware, software, facilities, utilities, and associated supplies and services to deliver operational supercomputing capabilities which shall constitute NOAA’s Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System (WCOSS), as further described in Section C.

_______, 2028 through _______, 2030

1.00

1.00

LOT

LOT

$0.00

$0.00

$0.00

SECTION B

SUPPLIES OR SERVICES & PRICES OR COSTS

B.1 GENERAL

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System (WCOSS) Program, which functions out of the National Weather Service (NWS), National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) – NCEP Central Operations (NCO), has a requirement for continued High Performance Computing (HPC) services and supplies to support NOAA’s WCOSS capability. Individual supplies and services required under the subject contract shall be further defined at the task order level.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code associated with this contract is 541512 – Computer Systems Design Services.

The scope of work under this contract is defined in Section C.

B.2 BASE AND OPTION PERIODS

This contract consists of an eight (8) year base ordering period under CLINs 0001 and 0002, and a two (2) year optional ordering period under CLINs 1001 and 1002. If the option period is exercised, the total ordering period shall be ten (10) years.

B.2.1 Option Period I – Transition-Out Services

As further specified in Section C.5.9.2, Option CLINs 1001 and 1002 cover the two (2) year optional ordering period established to support an orderly transition of contractual support from the incumbent Contractor to the successor Contractor. Further details concerning Transition-Out Support shall be provided at the Task Order level.

B.3 CONTRACT TYPE

This is a single-award, Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract that allows task orders to be issued on a Firm-Fixed Price (FFP), Time-and-Materials (T&M), Cost-Reimbursable (CR), and Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) basis. Task orders may also combine more than one pricing arrangement (e.g., FFP/CR, etc.), although separate CLINs are required for each pricing arrangement. Selection of task order contract type shall be at the full discretion of the Government.

B.4 TASK ORDER PRICING

The subject contract provides the flexibility to determine fair and reasonable pricing tailored to the delivery or task order requirements dependent upon level of subcontractor competition, risk, uncertainties, complexity, urgency, and contract type. The Contracting Officer (CO) has the authority and responsibility to determine cost or price reasonableness for task order requirements. The CO has flexibility to exceed IDIQ-level labor rates and profit or fee for unique requirements involving extensive applications support; testing and implementation for emergent HPC technologies; or other extraordinary circumstances. Subcontractor competition at the task order level shall be required to support subcontractor pricing for all contract types.

Some task orders may require services that do not correspond to the labor categories included in the IDIQ. Accordingly, if permitted by the task order solicitation, the Contractor may propose appropriate labor categories and labor rates necessary to meet the requirements of the solicitation despite them not being included in the IDIQ as awarded.

The CO will establish an appropriate Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) structure, and identify the applicable contract type for all CLINs in each task order.

B.4.1 Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) Orders

Firm-Fixed Price orders are defined under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 16.202, Firm-Fixed-Price Contracts.

B.4.1.1 Maximum Profit Rate on FFP Orders

Unless otherwise specified by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall abide by the following table in constructing price proposals for FFP Task Orders:

(NOTE: All rates specified below exclude Prime Contractor labor rates that have been pre-priced and pre-negotiated at the Base IDIQ contract level.)

Figure B.4.1.1 – Maximum Profit Rates for Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) Task Orders

Task Category Maximum Profit Rate %

Traditional Supercomputing Solutions (See Section C.5.1.1)

**TBD AT BASE IDIQ AWARD**

Alternative Supercomputing Solutions (See Section C.5.1.2) TBD at the Task Order Level

Ancillary Equipment and Services (See Section C.5.1.3)

**TBD AT BASE IDIQ AWARD**

(PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK)

B.4.2 Time-and-Materials (T&M) Orders

T&M orders are defined under FAR 16.601.

The Contractor may provide separate and/or blended loaded hourly labor rates at the task order level for Prime Contractor labor, each Subcontractor, and/or each Division, Subsidiary, or Affiliate in accordance with the provisions set forth in FAR 52.216-29, 52.216-30, and/or 52.216-31. The CO shall identify which provision(s) is applicable in the task order solicitation, and the Contractor shall comply with the provision(s).

B.4.3 Cost Reimbursement (CR) Orders and Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF) Orders

Cost Reimbursement Orders are defined under FAR Subpart 16.3, Cost-Reimbursement Contracts. The Contractor shall have and maintain an adequate accounting system that will permit timely development of all necessary cost data in the form required by the proposed contract type. The Contractor may be required to submit a cost proposal with supporting information for each cost element including, but not limited to: direct labor, fringe benefits, overhead, general and administrative expenses, material handling costs, facilities capital cost of money, other direct costs, and fee consistent with their cost accounting system, provisional billing rates, and forward pricing rate agreements.

B.4.4 Other Direct Cost Other Direct Costs (ODCs) shall be pre-approved by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) at the task order level, and shall be allowable on the task order only if approved prior to the Contractor incurring these costs. At the discretion of the CO, ODCs may be established on either a FFP or CR basis, and may include a range of cost categories (e.g. travel, utilities, shipping, etc.).

B.4.4.1 ODCs – Utility Costs (i.e. Critical Power)

The Government anticipates incurring costs related to metered utilities in support of equipment power consumption (i.e. Critical Power). ODCs related to Utility Costs shall be established on either a FFP or CR basis, as further specified at the Task Order level.

B.4.4.2 ODCs – Fixed-Price Items

The Government anticipates executing certain ODCs (e.g. travel costs and shipping costs) on a FFP basis. As further specified at the Task Order level, in such instances the Contractor and the Government shall negotiate a FFP value for reimbursing any anticipated ODC amounts, and the Contractor shall execute all requirements related to the ODC regardless of the Contractor’s actual cost experience.

(NOTE: The CO reserves the right to re-negotiate FFP ODC amounts if it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government.)

B.4.5 Subcontractor Competition Requirements for Task Order Proposals

In accordance with FAR 52.244-5, unless otherwise advised in writing by the CO, the Contractor is required to conduct subcontractor competitions for all subcontracted supplies and services proposed in response to task order solicitations. At a minimum, the Contractor’s task order proposals shall include documentation demonstrating the following: 1) evidence that subcontractor competitions were conducted, or, if infeasible, rationale for why subcontractor competitions could not be conducted; 2) rationale to support subcontractor selections (e.g. copies of business clearance memorandums, price analyses, proposal ranking documentation, etc.); and 3) copies of subcontractor quotes as provided to the Contractor. The Government reserves the right to request additional documentation as required in order to determine proposal acceptability and price reasonableness. In accordance with FAR 44.305, the Contractor is responsible for maintaining an approved purchasing system for the life of the IDIQ contract.

B.5 CAR 1352.216-70 ESTIMATED AND ALLOWABLE COSTS (APR 2010)

(NOTE: This clause will be filled in at the Task Order level when Cost-Reimbursement is the appropriate contract type.)

(a) Estimated Costs. The estimated cost of this contract is $___________, which consists of $___________ for reimbursable costs, and $___________ for fixed/incentive fee.

These costs shall be subject to the provisions of FAR clause 52.232-20, “Limitation of Cost,” FAR clause 52.216-7, “Allowable Cost and Payments,” and FAR clause 52.216-8, “Fixed Fee.”

(b) Subject to Availability of Funds [Insert paragraph (b) when the contract is issued subject to the availability of funds].

“The amount of funding for this contract is $___________, which consists of $___________ for reimbursable costs, and $___________ for Fixed Fee. These costs shall be subject to the provisions of FAR 52.232-22, “Limitations of Funds.”

(c) Allowable Costs.

(1) Final annual indirect cost rate(s) and the appropriate base(s) shall be established in accordance with FAR Subpart 42.7, in effect for the period covered by the indirect cost rate proposal.

(2) Until final annual indirect cost rates are established for any period, the Government shall reimburse the contractor at billing rates established by the Contracting Officer (or cognizant Federal agency official) or auditor in accordance with FAR 42.704, subject to adjustment when the final rates are established. The established billing rates are currently as follows: ------------------- [Insert billing rate]

(End of Clause) B.6 CAR 1352.216-71 LEVEL OF EFFORT (COST-PLUS-FIXED-FEE (CPFF), TERM CONTRACT) (APR 2010)

(NOTE: This clause will be filled in at the Task Order level when Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee is the appropriate contract type.)

(a) In performance of the effort directed in this contract, the contractor shall provide the total of Direct Productive Labor Hours (DPLH) as specified in Part I, Section B during the term specified in Section ____. DPLH is defined as actual work hours exclusive of vacation, holidays, sick leave, and other absences.

(b) Only the DPLH categories indicated below shall be charged directly to the contract. It is estimated that the DPLH will be expended approximately as follows:

Period Option Period I

(c) The hours specified above are provided as estimates only. If the actual amount of hours incurred falls within 90% to 110% of this estimate, the fee shall not be adjusted.

(d) In the event that the contractor shall be required to provide less than 90% of the estimated DPLH, the fixed fee of the contract shall be equitably adjusted by unilateral modification to the contract. The fixed fee adjustment shall be based solely upon the difference between the DPLH actually provided and 90% of the estimated DPLH, calculated as follows:

Adjusted Fixed Fee = (Actual DPLH/(.9 × Estimated DPLH)) × Specified Fixed Fee

(e) In the event that the contractor shall be required to provide more than 110% of the estimated DPLH, the fixed fee of the Contract shall be equitably adjusted by unilateral modification to the Contract. The fixed fee adjustment shall be based solely upon the difference between the DPLH actually provided and 110% of the estimated DPLH, calculated as follows:

Adjusted Fixed Fee = (Actual DPLH/(1.1 × Estimated DPLH)) × Specified Fixed Fee

(f) These terms and conditions do not supersede the requirements of either FAR clause 52.232-20 “Limitation of Cost” or FAR clause 52.232-22 “Limitation of Funds.”

(End of Clause)

B.7 CAR 1352.216-75 MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM CONTRACT AMOUNTS (APR 2010)

During the term of the contract, the Government shall place orders totaling a minimum of $10,000.00. The amount of all orders shall not exceed $505,200,000.00.

(End of Clause)

B.8 CAR 1352.216-77 CEILING PRICE (APR 2010)

(NOTE: This clause will be filled in at the Task Order level when Time-and-Materials or Labor-Hour is the appropriate contract type.)

The ceiling price of this contract is $____. The contractor shall not make expenditures nor incur obligations in the performance of this contract which exceed the ceiling price specified herein, except at the contractor's own risk.

(End of Clause)

B.9 NAM 1330-52.232-70 NOAA LIMITATION OF FUNDS ON TIME-AND- MATERIALS AND LABOR-HOUR CONTRACTS (MAY 2015)

(NOTE: This language will be filled in at the Task Order level when Time-and-Materials or Labor-Hour is the appropriate contract type.)

It is estimated that the total cost to the Government for the performance of this contract shall not exceed the ceiling price of _____ [Contracting Officer insert amount]. Funds in the amount of _______ [Contracting Officer insert amount] are hereby allotted. The balance of this contract’s estimated ceiling will be allotted upon availability of funds through a unilateral modification(s).

Limitation of Funds on Time-and-Materials and Labor-Hour Contracts (MAY 2015)

(a) The parties estimate that performance of this contract will not cost the Government more than the ceiling amount specified in the contract. The Contractor agrees to use its best efforts to perform the work specified in the Schedule and all obligations under this contract within the ceiling amount.

(b) The Schedule specifies the amount of funds presently available for payment by the Government and allotted to this contract as well as the items covered. The parties contemplate that the Government will allot additional funds incrementally to the contract up to the full estimated cost to the Government specified in the Schedule, provided that funds become available. The Contractor agrees to perform work on the contract up to the point at which the total amount paid and payable by the Government under the contract approximates but does not exceed the total amount actually allotted by the Government to the contract.

(c) The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing whenever it has reason to believe that the costs it expects to incur under this contract in the next 60 days, when added to all costs previously incurred, will exceed 85% of the total funded amount so far allotted to the contract by the Government. The notice shall state the additional funds required to continue performance for the period specified in the Schedule.

(d) Except as required by other provisions of this contract, specifically citing and stated to be an exception to this clause –

(1) The Government is not obligated to reimburse the Contractor for costs incurred in excess of the total amount allotted by the Government to this contract; and

(2) The Contractor is not obligated to continue performance under this contract or otherwise incur costs in excess of the amount then allotted to the contract by the Government until the Contracting Officer notifies the contractor in writing that the amount allotted by the Government has been increased and specifies an increased amount, which shall then constitute the total amount allotted by the Government to this contract.

(e) Change orders shall not be considered an authorization to exceed the amount allotted by the Government specified in the Schedule, unless they contain a statement increasing the amount allotted.

(f) Nothing in this language shall affect the right of the Government to terminate this contract. If this contract is terminated, the Government and the Contractor shall negotiate an equitable distribution of all property produced or purchased under the contract, based upon the share of costs incurred by each.

(End of Language)

(END OF SECTION B)

SECTION C

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

C.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this acquisition is to acquire High Performance Computing (HPC) services and equipment which shall constitute the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System (WCOSS). The WCOSS Program is managed by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) – Central Operations (NCO), which functions out of the Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS).

See Section C – Appendix A for details concerning the WCOSS management structure.

C.2 OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this acquisition are as follows:

C.2.1 SECURE AN OPERATIONAL HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING (HPC) CAPABILITY:

NOAA seeks to acquire the HPC services and equipment necessary to support the processing of the NCEP Production Suite (NPS) and Transition-to-Operations (T2O) environmental modeling workstreams. NOAA is seeking innovative HPC solutions that deliver maximum compute capacity and storage capability levels (e.g. disk and I/O) that will evolve over time to keep pace with NOAA’s growing environmental modeling needs. NOAA is seeking performance-based HPC solutions that are resilient, reliable, highly available, and serviceable.

C.2.2 MAXIMIZE ACQUISITION EFFICIENCY AND EXPEDIENCY, AND

LEVERAGE PRIVATE SECTOR EXPERTISE:

NOAA seeks to acquire HPC services and equipment efficiently and expeditiously to allow the Government to concentrate on its core missions, while also leveraging private sector expertise in managing state-of-the art high performance computing resources. NOAA seeks a partnership with Industry which would maximize effective use of available funding resources to align NOAA’s WCOSS capabilities with proven technology and Industry best practices.

C.3 BACKGROUND

C.3.1 MISSION OVERVIEW AND HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING (HPC)

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts; to share that knowledge and information with others; and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The intensifying needs of the environment, the economy, and public safety present challenges to NOAA’s mission. WCOSS meets these challenges by providing significant computational capability, which is the basis for NOAA’s environmental modeling and simulation infrastructure support for NOAA’s operational HPC applications. These applications assess and predict environmental changes to support the protection of life and property; provide decision makers with reliable scientific information; and foster global environmental stewardship.

The WCOSS Program is a critical path element in the performance of NOAA’s Primary Mission Essential Functions (PMEFs) for protecting life, property, and national security, as assigned pursuant to Homeland Security Presidential Directive-20, and National Security Presidential Directive-51. The inability to properly maintain and support this Program could lead to the degradation of the U.S. Government’s ability to predict severe weather events, potentially leading to the loss of life or property.

C.3.2 MISSION OVERVIEW – GROWING DEMAND FOR OPERATIONAL

SUPERCOMPUTING CAPABILITIES

NOAA is recognized as a world leader in understanding and predicting the Earth’s environment through advanced modeling capabilities, climate research, and real-time weather and water products. The growing concern of global climate change; weather impacts on homeland security and aviation; and hurricanes, tornadoes, and other severe weather events have spurred a growing demand for weather, climate, ocean, and space weather information of increased accuracy, at shorter lead times, and with greater model resolution. As such, it is critically important that NOAA secures an operational HPC capability that could evolve over time to keep pace with the ever-growing computational demands from NOAA’s environmental models, which are run continuously (7x24).

See Section C – Appendix B for a list and description of NOAA’s modeling plans for the future.

C.3.3 MISSION OVERVIEW – NOAA’S OVERARCHING SUPERCOMPUTING INFRASTRUCTURE

NOAA’s overarching High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) Program consists of both the Research and Development High Performance Computing System (R&D HPCS) and WCOSS. The scope of this requirement specifically concerns the WCOSS portion of NOAA’s HPCC Program.

C.3.4 MISSION OVERVIEW – NOAA’S USE OF GOVERNMENT DATA AND GOVERNMENT APPLICATIONS ON WCOSS

NOAA’s use of the WCOSS capability consists of two (2) major functions: 1) running the NCEP Production Suite (NPS) workstreams on a continuous 7X24 basis ) and 2) running Transition to Operations (T2O) workstreams. As Weather and Climate numerical models mature, they are transitioned to the WCOSS T2O environment to be tested and evaluated for possible use in the NPS. Once all tests have been completed, and the scientific results validated, the models are moved from the WCOSS T2O environment into the WCOSS NPS environment and become part of the NPS.

The NPS and T2O workstreams consist of NOAA input data, HPC applications, and output data. NOAA’s input data includes satellite sources (e.g. geostationary and polar orbiters), and non-satellite sources (e.g. surface reports; land, marine, and upper-air profiles; land soundings; aircraft, etc.). NOAA maintains and executes applications to include numerical models, libraries, post processing, and data flow. NOAA’s output data includes model prediction products in various formats (e.g. NETCDF, GRIB2, and BUFR).

C.3.5 MISSION OVERVIEW – RELIABLE MODEL EXECUTION AND PRODUCT

DELIVERY

NOAA’s mission demands highly reliable HPC capabilities to ensure that increasingly complex environmental models are executed on-time, 7x24. NOAA’s operational environmental models are run numerous times each day, and within prescribed time intervals to reliably disseminate model guidance products on a fixed time schedule. In addition to their timely execution, these models must also accommodate continual increases in the quantity of input data, including an increased flow of observational and satellite data, which is synchronized to an external worldwide data collection cycle (i.e. outside of WCOSS).

C.3.6 CURRENT WCOSS OPERATIONS – FUNCTIONAL OVERVIEW

See Section C – Appendix C – WCOSS Functional Description for specific details concerning the current WCOSS operational environment.

C.3.6.1 Current Operations – The current WCOSS resides in two (2) geographically diverse locations (i.e. Reston, VA and Orlando, FL.) to ensure continuity of operations. Both systems are located in commercially leased facilities. At any given time, one system is running both the NPS and a portion of the T2O workstreams, while the other system runs the remainder of the T2O workstreams, and serves as a backup for all NPS operations. NOAA strives to ensure that both systems are utilized to their maximum capacities at all times.

C.3.6.2 Incumbent Contractor – HPC Services Provided – The incumbent contractor provides HPC services related to hardware, software, labor, facilities, and utilities, to deliver and sustain the current WCOSS which hosts NPS and T2O workstreams. The incumbent contractor’s hardware provisions include the supercomputers, storage, interconnects, LAN switches, and ancillary systems (see Section C – Appendix C). The incumbent’s software provisions include operating systems, compilers, workload manager(s), third party software, and software libraries. The incumbent’s facility provisions include physical space, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, office space, and physical access controls.

C.4 SCOPE

C.4.1 SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT

The scope of this contract is to provide end-to-end supercomputing capabilities as a service, as well as to provide ancillary HPC supplies and service purchasing capability as needed. Supercomputing capability as a service encompasses the provisioning of Contractor-owned or Contractor-provided resources, to include all necessary HPC components (i.e. labor, equipment, software, facilities, and utilities), to deliver operational supercomputing functionality and use as a service (i.e. the WCOSS system). Ancillary HPC supplies and service purchasing capability includes recurring and non-recurring item purchases, which would be in addition to any supercomputing capabilities delivered as a service. As specified at the Task Order level, and at the full discretion of the Government, the scope of this contract includes both Traditional Supercomputing Solutions, as well as Alternative Technology Solutions (e.g. cloud computing) which may emerge as viable supercomputing methods over the life of the contract. See Section C.5.1 for additional details.

In addition to the Performance Work Statement (PWS) requirements set forth herein, the scope of this contract includes, at the discretion of the Government, technological enhancements; service improvements; end user application support and training; and the ancillary equipment and professional services necessary to align NOAA’s WCOSS capability with the latest proven technologies, and best practices available to Industry.

C.4.2 SCOPE CONSIDERATIONS – GOVERNMENT FURNISHED FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

C.4.2.1 General – Contractor’s Responsibility

Over the life of the contract, the Contractor shall retain the capability to supply Contractor-owned or Contractor-provided HPC hardware, software, facilities, utilities, and labor for Government use as a service, as well as retain the capability to purchase supplies and services on the Government’s behalf, wherein the Government may elect to take possession of those items as Government property.

Notwithstanding the above, the Government reserves the right to provide Government furnished facilities and Government Furnished Property (GFP) in accordance with FAR 52.245-1. The Contractor shall have access to all GFP facilities and equipment in “AS-IS CONDITION” in accordance with FAR 45.201(a)(5), and shall operate, maintain, and enhance these items as further specified by the Government via Task Order.

Over the life of the contract, the Contractor shall retain the capability to augment any WCOSS service solution delivered to include potential Government furnished facilities or GFP. In addition, and unless otherwise specified at the Task Order level, the Contractor shall incorporate GFP items into all WCOSS service solutions delivered over the life of the contract.

(NOTE: Unless otherwise specified by the Government, all GFP facilities and equipment shall be tracked and listed at the Task Order level. In addition, and unless otherwise specified by the Government, any change to the list of available GFP shall be executed via Task Order modification.)

C.4.2.2 Government Furnished Facilities

At the time of base contract award, Government furnished facilities are not anticipated to be available for this contract. Notwithstanding, the Government reserves the right to provide Government furnished facilities in accordance with FAR 52.245-1.

C.4.2.3 Government Furnished Property

At the time of base contract award, the Government anticipates providing Wide Area Network (WAN) hardware and software. The GFP list shall be provided at the Task Order level. In addition, over the life of the contract, the Government reserves the right to provide additional GFP in accordance with FAR 52.245-1.

C.4.3 SCOPE CONSIDERATIONS – TRANSITION ACTIVITIES

February 15, 2020 – February 14, 2022 is a transition period for the predecessor WCOSS contract. During that time, the incumbent contractor will maintain operations for the previous WCOSS system through February 14, 2022. Upon award of the subject contract, the Government anticipates issuing a Task Order to initiate performance of the successful offeror’s Phase-In Plan, as well as to deliver the follow-on WCOSS capability. Unless otherwise specified via Task Order, the Contractor shall deliver the follow-on WCOSS capability within the aforementioned transition period.

Once the Contractor’s follow-on WCOSS capability is delivered, the Government will be responsible for migrating environmental modeling codes from the predecessor WCOSS system to the follow-on WCOSS capability. In a similar fashion, upon completion of the period of performance for the subject contract, the Contractor shall maintain operations for the WCOSS capability under the subject contract to support transition activities with the successor contractor. Specific requirements concerning transition requirements shall be specified at the Task Order level.

C.5 REQUIREMENTS

The following section describes the requirements for this contract. Specific requirements shall be further defined at the Task Order level. Unless otherwise noted, personnel security requirements for the items listed below are considered “High Risk” in accordance with Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR) 1337.110-70(a) and (c), and shall follow the security requirements prescribed in CAR 1352.237-71 – Security Processing Requirements – High Risk Contracts. The definition of HPC as provided in Section C – Appendix D shall be referenced as the basis for all HPC requirements outlined in this section.

(NOTE: For referencing purposes, in accordance with the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) 199 – Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems, the WCOSS is categorized as a “High Impact” system. See the following link for details:

http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.199.pdf)

C.5.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall provide end-to-end supercomputing capabilities as a managed service, as well as provide ancillary supplies and services purchasing capability, as further specified throughout Section C.5 below, and as specified at the Task Order level. Throughout the life of the contract, the Contractor shall retain the capability to provide supercomputing capability as a managed service based on both Traditional Supercomputing Solutions, as well as Alternative Technology Solutions. Traditional Supercomputing Solutions and Alternative Technology Solutions are further described in Sections C.5.1.1 and C.5.1.2 below. All managed service solutions shall comply with the minimum performance and security requirements specified in Section C, and at the Task Order level. In addition, and unless otherwise specified at the Task Order level, all managed services solutions, regardless of whether they are Traditional Supercomputing Solutions or Alternative Technology Solutions, shall be designed to allow for future expansion, scalability, and interoperability with any managed service solutions to be delivered in the future.

C.5.1.1 Managed Services – Traditional Supercomputing Solutions

The Contractor shall provide Traditional Supercomputing Solutions as a managed service as required, and as further specified at the Task Order level. Traditional Supercomputing Solutions are defined as supercomputing capabilities which provide the necessary labor, hardware, software, facilities, and utilities, to deliver end-to-end supercomputing capabilities as a managed service. Unless otherwise specified at the Task Order level, resources provided under Traditional Supercomputing Solutions shall include the following components (at a minimum):

· HPC Hardware

· Compute System

· High Speed Network

· External Ethernet Network

· High Performance Storage

· Parallel File Systems

· Developer File Systems

· Backup and Recovery Systems/Capability

· HPC Software

· Operating System Software

· Batch Queuing System

· Parallel Operating Environment

· All Requisite Production and Security Software

· Software Tools to Manage the System and Measure Performance

· Facilities

· Primary and Backup Facilities – Two (2) Facilities at a Minimum

· Physical Space

· Physical Security

· Heat Exchange/Cooling Infrastructure

· Labor

· Program Management Services Team

· Site Support Services Team

· Utilities (Cost Incurred at Facilities)

C.5.1.2 Managed Services – Alternative Technology Solutions (ATS)

Over the life of the contract, the Contractor may be required to provide Alternative Technology Solutions as a managed service, which will be further defined at the Task Order level. Alternative Technology Solutions involve technologies that did not exist at the time of contract award, or did exist at time of contract award, but were not yet mature enough to meet the Government’s operational requirements. All Alternative Technology Solutions shall adhere to the performance and security requirements specified throughout Section C.

C.5.1.3 Ancillary HPC Supplies, Services, and Labor

The Contractor shall provide recurring and non-recurring HPC supplies, services, and labor support as further specified in Section C and at the Task Order level. In addition to the items identified in Section B of this contract, the Government may, during the term of this contract, require goods and services not otherwise specifically identified, but within the scope of this contract. On such occasion(s), unless otherwise specified, these ancillary provisions shall be in addition to any managed service support separately issued, and shall be negotiated at the Task Order level.

C.5.2 WCOSS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS – ARCHITECTURE

C.5.2.1 The Contractor shall deliver Primary and Backup WCOSS system capabilities that are architecturally identical to each other, and shall implement HPC service architectures capable of executing both NPS and T2O workloads on the same system, and without resulting in any degradation to the NPS operations.

C.5.2.2 The Contractor shall provide WCOSS architectural solutions capable of executing NPS and T2O workloads interchangeably, thus allowing the Government the full discretion to execute NPS and T20 workloads on either the Primary or Backup WCOSS capability. The Government anticipates at any given time for NPS workloads to be executed on either the Primary or Backup WCOSS, and the T2O workloads to be executed on both the Primary and Backup WCOSS.

C.5.2.3 The Contractor’s WCOSS architectural solutions shall be capable of maintaining the Government’s operational product delivery schedule (see Section C – Appendix B), and increasingly complex meteorological applications to run within the same fixed wall-clock time window. These workloads are comprised of a range of computational tasks (e.g. capability, capacity and I/O demands), which include executing complicated models, data assimilation, data ingest, data analysis, and product generation, with accompanying high-volume and low-latency data storage and retrieval.

C.5.2.4 The Contractor shall provide architectural solutions that support controlled switching of the NPS and T2O workloads from one system to the other.

C.5.2.5 The Contractor may use a heterogeneous configuration for each WCOSS solution; however, the Primary and Backup WCOSS capabilities for each WCOSS solution shall be architecturally identical to each other. Unless otherwise specified at the Task Order, any heterogeneity across the WCOSS solutions delivered shall be limited to no greater than three (3) generations/versions of any given HPC component or technology (e.g. processors/cores, interconnect, storage sub-systems, etc.).

C.5.2.6 Unless otherwise specified at the Task Order level, for all WCOSS solutions/upgrades delivered, the Contractor shall implement an integrated architectural design, with interconnecting systems and subsystems at all levels, balancing performance and managing risk such that all WCOSS nodes/cores have access to all corresponding computational systems (e.g. nodes, cores, etc.), storage systems (e.g. disk, I/O), and parallel file systems as deployed by the Contractor, and as accepted by the Government. In addition, and unless otherwise specified at the Task Order level, all HPC hardware and software components; all facilities components; all labor; and all applicable utilities provided shall be comprehensive in nature; shall be integrated from end-to-end; and shall be provided in a manner which facilitates the aforementioned integrated architectural design across both the initial WCOSS capability delivered, as well as all subsequent upgrades provided.

(NOTE: By the end of the useful life of a given WCOSS solution, all resources shall be fully utilized.)

C.5.2.7 Over the life of the contract, the Contractor shall deliver WCOSS architectural solutions wherein the HPC systems and associated facilities offerings are designed in such a way as to promote expansion and scalability, thus enabling the accommodation of future increases in NOAA’s model processing capability and clock-driven NPS and T2O requirements. Specific requirements shall be as further specified in Section C.5.3, and at the Task Order level.

C.5.3 WCOSS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS – PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS

C.5.3.1 Expansions/Refreshes/Upgrades/Fit-Ups

Over the life of the contract, the Contractor shall provide balanced HPC lifecycle technology expansions, refreshes, and upgrades, which shall be integrated with associated facilities upgrades and fit-ups. The Contractor shall provide the expansions, refreshes, upgrades, and fit-ups using project management principles, and shall execute these requirements with minimum disruption to WCOSS workloads. Specific requirements shall be further specified at the Task Order level. The Contractor shall adhere to all Program Management Best Practices specified in Section C.7.2 in executing these upgrades.

C.5.3.1.1 For planning purposes, the Government anticipates an initial WCOSS solution to be delivered after Base IDIQ contract award (i.e. Phase 1), followed by a Phase 2 system in Contract Year 6. Figure 5.3.1.1 below provides the Government’s anticipated delivery/upgrade schedule in delivering and upgrading the WCOSS capability over the life of the contract:

(NOTE: The schedule and system performance trajectory outlined in Figure C.5.3.1.1 is provided for planning purposes only, with final requirements to be finalized and further defined at the Task Order level.)

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Figure. C.5.3.1.1 – Projected Delivery Schedule And Computing Increases Over The Life Of The Contract Milestone Requirement Projected Completion Schedule* Compute and Disk Storage Capability Projections

Deliver Early Access System (i.e. Pre-Phase 1 Delivery)

Deliver Test and Development System (TDS) (i.e. Pre-Phase 1 Delivery)

*Unless otherwise specified by the Government in writing, all Projected Completion Schedules listed include successful completion of Government testing and acceptance procedures as further specified in Section E.

**Projected Completion Schedules from Base Contract Award assume that a subsequent Task Order would be issued to accommodate the projected delivery schedule.

***X-Factor performance capabilities are provided for planning purposes only. Final performance requirements for Phases 2 shall be subject to negotiation between the Government and Contractor at the time of Task Order issuance.

C.5.3.1.2 The Contractor shall provide technically compliant upgrades (i.e. phases) to the initial WCOSS capability through additional hardware and/or software, wholly new systems, or a combination thereof. All upgrades shall meet all performance requirements as specified in Section C, and at the Task Order level. Over the life of the contract, the Government reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantity of planned system upgrades from those described in Figure C.5.3.1.1, as well as negotiate the final performance requirements and delivery schedule for each upgrade.

C.5.3.1.3 All system upgrades requiring a system to be taken out of service shall not exceed 72 consecutive hours in duration.

C.5.3.1.4 The Contractor shall adhere to the acceptance criteria as defined in each task order for periodic performance upgrades. Acceptance criteria will be based on a suite of operational models at the time of the upgrade.

C.5.3.2 Software and Firmware Upgrades

C.5.3.2.1 The cycle of periodic upgrades shall start with the new configurations being demonstrated with a Test and Development System (as further specified at the Task Order level), and implemented in the HPC environments using a schedule submitted by the Contractor for Government approval.

C.5.3.2.2 Upgrades shall be scheduled and performed on a semi-annual basis, and will be considered NULL time.

C.5.3.2.3 The time required for all additional upgrades/fixes required shall be negotiated with the Government.

C.5.3.2.4 Prior to any planned upgrade, the Contractor shall develop and submit to the Government for review and approval the plan to roll back the upgrade in the event of any problems encountered as a result of the upgrade.

C.5.3.2.5 The Contractor shall test the roll back process, and verify that the Contractor can return to the previous level and document how long that process will take prior to executing any upgrades.

C.5.3.2.6 All system upgrades requiring a system to be taken out of service shall not exceed 72 consecutive hours in duration.

C.5.3.3 Committed Minimum Benchmark Performance

For all WCOSS solutions delivered, the Contractor shall deliver HPC capabilities that meet or exceed the benchmark performance requirements as specified at the Task Order level.

C.5.4 WCOSS SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS – RESILIENCY, RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY, AND SERVICEABILITY (RRAS)

The WCOSS equipment and support services provided shall maintain and expand the Government’s historically high utilization (90%+) of its computing resources. RRAS are considered fundamental aspects of any WCOSS solution provided. Over the life of the contract, the Contractor shall provide suggestions on how to best incorporate RRAS features into its solution set.

C.5.4.1 Resiliency for HPC Resources

The Contractor shall deliver operations, maintenance, and enhancement capabilities which shall enable quick recovery of HPC resource infrastructure components, all while still meeting the availability requirements outlined in Section C.5.4. The underlying hardware/software/infrastructure shall be able to recover gracefully from faults and failures by rapid re-provisioning of resources, or by means of a similar mechanism without causing disruption to operations. Individual component or subcomponent failures shall not result in the failure of the entire system. No WCOSS solution shall have single points of failure. Components such as file systems shall be provisioned with redundancy to ensure high availability, and to prevent data loss. The Contractor shall provide a self-monitoring capability for each WCOSS solution for purposes of providing predictive analysis of component failures.

C.5.4.1.1 The WCOSS solutions provided shall include features whereby failures are predicted, detected, and mitigated. These features include:

C.5.4.1.1.1 Sustain NPS and T2O as faults are detected.

C.5.4.1.1.2 Mechanisms to detect and defend against hardware, software, facilities faults; and Government interaction with these capabilities to include alerts and error logging.

C.5.4.2 Reliability

C.5.4.2.1 The Government requires highly reliable HPC resources to meet its mission requirements. Hardware, software, and overall design shall be comprised of stable components in order to avoid interruptions to Government work-flows. System resources shall support continuous monitoring, and shall contain a mechanism whereby errors are reported for analysis and subsequent action. System reliability shall be tested and examined by the Government during acceptance for all HPC computational platforms via tests of numerical reproducibility, numerical accuracy, and data integrity and run-time variability.

(NOTE: Similar tests, although of a shorter duration, shall follow every system outage involving any hardware or software upgrades. The Government, at its discretion, reserves the right to verify proper system functionality at any time. The Government may require that identical codes run on essentially identical hardware and software, and for them to provide exact results, bit-wise.)

C.5.4.2.2 The Contractor shall maintain data integrity across systems such that data movement and storage shall not produce data corruption.