City of Alexandria Request for Proposals

RFP: Municipal Fiber Network Operations Center (NOC) Support Services

RFP No.: 2008

Part B – Scope of Work

Part B – Scope of Work

1. General Overview

This section provides an overview of the scope of services and/or goods described in this Solicitation. This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is issued in accordance with the Virginia Public Procurement Act using the competitive negotiation method of source selection.

Proposals will be evaluated against the evaluation criteria set forth herein to determine the proposal most advantageous to the City.

Detailed requirements governing contract administration, performance, scheduling, acceptance, and payment are addressed in Part C – Special Terms and Conditions, which supplement the City’s Part D – General Terms and Conditions.

2. Purpose

The City of Alexandria, Virginia (the “City”) issues this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) to solicit proposals through the competitive negotiation process to establish a contract for the provision of municipal fiber network operations center (NOC) support services, as described in this Solicitation. The scope of this RFP is limited to support services of Tier 1 network monitoring and event management.

3. Background

The City’s Information Technology Services (ITS) recently deployed a citywide network in Fall 2025 to support all City departments. The network is comprised of multiple core nodes that form the network backbone and provide distribution layer connections to City departments.

The network design includes both physical and logical redundancies to minimize single points of failure. The network supports a range of services of varying criticality. The City requires 24/7 fault and performance monitoring and all detected events to be evaluated in real-time to determine operational scope, impact, and risk potential to the City network.

The following sections below will provide additional information about the City’s network environment and operations and describe the City’s tiered support model arrangement.

3.1 CITY NETWORK ENVIRONMENT

The City’s investment to an extensive City-owned fiber plant provides for geo-diverse connectivity between all core nodes and to most service locations. There are no commercial provider circuits or leased fiber used in the new ITS network, and the core and distribution layer network systems are City-owned and managed.

The City operates a citywide enterprise network providing City information technology services and data interconnectivity between more than sixty (60) sites encompassing the vast majority of its departments and agencies, which is monitored and maintained by ITS.

RFP: Municipal Fiber Network Operations Center (NOC) Support Services

RFP No.: 2008

Part B – Scope of Work

Additionally, there are three (3) air-gapped networks, also operating over City-owned fiber infrastructure, that are monitored and operated by their respective departments, including:

3.1.1 A traffic management network operated by the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) and connecting traffic signals, surveillance cameras, roadway sensors, and other intelligent transportation system devices,

3.1.2 A public safety land-mobile radio network operated by the Department of

Emergency and Customer Communications (DECC), and

3.1.3 An enterprise data communications network operated by the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS).

ITS does not have Tier 1 responsibility for Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) monitoring and event detection within these air-gapped networks, but ITS is responsible for repair and maintenance of the City fiber utilized by them. As is currently, departmental network operations will escalate fiber related incidents to ITS Tier 1 for troubleshooting and repair by the City’s Contractor for fiber maintenance and repair.

3.1.4 Network System Architecture

This high-level summary of network systems and architecture is provided for an understanding of the requirements and scope of network monitoring.

Additional technical details may be discussed post-award with the Contractor.

3.1.4.1 Core/Backbone Layer

The network has six (6) core/distribution nodes, each with redundant network systems hardware, interconnected via a full mesh physical topology. Routed backbone connections are geographically redundant and comprised of dual-interface Link Aggregation Group (LAG) connections.

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of core nodes and the network backbone. This illustrates the combined use of fully meshed (geo-redundant) routed connections and LAG interfaces.

RFP: Municipal Fiber Network Operations Center (NOC) Support Services

RFP No.: 2008

Figure 1: Core/Backbone Topology

3.1.4.2 Distribution Layer

Redundant hardware at each core node establishes a “collapsed core” architecture, simultaneously providing core and distribution layer functionality. Distribution layer connections to City department locations are comprised of dual-interface LAG connections. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of geo-redundant distribution layer connections to department service locations.

Figure 2: Core, Backbone, Distribution Overview

3.1.4.3 Distribution Layer

Table 1 is a high-level inventory of network devices, interfaces, and sites in the City network. This represents all network devices and the number and types of interfaces to be monitored.

RFP: Municipal Fiber Network Operations Center (NOC) Support Services

RFP No.: 2008

Table 1: Network System and Interface Summary

Network System and Interface Summary 12 Core/Distribution Devices

144 Backbone Interfaces (72 LAGs) 360 Distribution Interfaces (180 LAGs) 90 Service Location Devices

360 Service Location Interfaces (180 LAGs) 102 Total Devices 864 Total Interfaces (432 LAGs)

3.2 NETWORK OPERATIONS

Historically, ITS has provided all support for network monitoring, management, and maintenance, with escalation to vendors for hardware replacement, software maintenance, and advanced remote technical support, when needed. The City’s NOC has operated during normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with on-call ITS support after hours.

New City network requirements include 24/7 fault and performance monitoring, notification, and response. To enable this, the City is outsourcing primary fault and performance monitoring and all Tier 1 NOC services.

ITS-tiered support and the respective roles of each tier, as described further in subsection C below, shall remain mostly unchanged, except for outsourcing all Tier 1 processes, network monitoring, and incident detection and management.

3.3 TIERED SUPPORT MODEL

The City will operate under a tiered support model. The following information outlines the City’s tiered support model:

3.3.1 Tier 1: The Contractor shall be responsible for 24/7 monitoring, incident detection, escalation, and event management.

3.3.2 Tier 2: ITS Network Engineering staff shall be the primary assigned resource for all network system-related events. Tier 2 support shall be available during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with on-call availability for escalation outside of regular business hours.

3.3.3 Tier 3 Network Support: The City has vendor support and maintenance contracts in place to provide 24/7 remote technical support, software maintenance, and next business day on-site replacement. Vendor support shall only be engaged by Tier 2 support.

RFP: Municipal Fiber Network Operations Center (NOC) Support Services

RFP No.: 2008

Part B – Scope of Work

3.3.4 Tier 3 Fiber Support: The City has a repair and maintenance contract in place to support City-owned fiber. The fiber support team is responsible for all maintenance and repair and must be immediately engaged 24/7 for all issues and events related to fiber and outside plant infrastructure. Fiber support may be engaged directly by Tier 1 or Tier 2 support.

4. Objectives

The primary objectives for outsourcing network monitoring and Tier 1 support shall include the following:

4.1. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) fault monitoring, detection, trouble reporting

4.2. Immediate escalation of repairs to critical infrastructure

4.3. Comprehensive event management

The City will utilize a tiered network support model, in which the Contractor shall be responsible for turnkey Tier 1 support. Additional information about the tiered support model is described in section 3.3.

5. Deliverables

Deliverables may include, as applicable:

5.1. Reports

5.2. Data outputs

5.3. Service performance results

5.4. Documentation

5.5. Other items identified by the City

6. Performance Period, Location, and Workdays/Hours

6.1. Period of Performance

If an award (s) is made, the City will issue a Contract(s) for an initial period of three

(3) year, with two (2), one (1) year option periods. Option years may be exercised one (1) year at a time by mutual agreement of both parties. The Contract period shall commence on the date of award and shall not exceed a five (5) year period.

Renewal Options: See Part C - Special Terms and Conditions

6.2. Work Location and Work Days/Hours.

RFP: Municipal Fiber Network Operations Center (NOC) Support Services

RFP No.: 2008

6.2.1 Work location: Remote

6.2.2 Workdays/hours, except for public holidays established by Federal law:

Twenty-Four hours / seven days per week (24/7)

7. Offeror Responsibilities

The Offeror shall:

7.1. Perform services in accordance with the Contract

7.2. Provide qualified personnel

7.3. Meet required schedules and performance standards

8. Contractor Responsibilities

The Contractor shall provide services to meet or exceed the requirements described throughout this section.

8.1 Network Monitoring

A high-level summary of the City’s network sites and systems in scope for this RFP was provided in Table 1 of section C-3 above. The functional scope of this RFP includes network performance monitoring (throughput, percent utilization, frame / packet loss, etc.), fault detection, alarm and event correlation, and incident / trouble ticket management.

Critically, the scope includes indirect monitoring and detection of in-service City fiber events. The Contractor shall use SNMP, event correlation, and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to identify fiber-related outages or service degradations.

The Contractor shall maintain and make available to the City an online, secure portal depicting real-time network performance and fault monitoring.

The City has two (2) data centers that are collocated in separate core nodes. Please note that monitoring the City’s data centers, servers, and applications is not in this RFP’s scope. However, each data center includes a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) network that may be used for on-premises Network Management System (NMS) collection and aggregation.

Network access to and from the DMZ will be secured and monitored by the City. The Contractor shall monitor the City’s network using SNMP, version 3. The Contractor shall not have direct administrative access to City network systems for troubleshooting or diagnostics. ICMP echo requests will be permitted from NMS collectors to assess real-time status of impacted resources reported by SNMP.

RFP: Municipal Fiber Network Operations Center (NOC) Support Services

RFP No.: 2008

Part B – Scope of Work

SNMP monitoring of City systems shall utilize a standard Management Information Base (MIB) template with polling intervals, as agreed to by the City. The City anticipates direct SNMP monitoring of City network devices from an on-premises NMS collector. The City plans to continue operating its own NMS separate from the outsourced monitoring solution. Network devices may be configured with multiple SNMP service destinations, or the City may require some or all SNMP monitoring to be performed via SNMP relay from City NMS or element management system (EMS) northbound interfaces.

8.2 Operational Response Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

As City departments are internal customers of ITS, it is essential that the operational response to network incidents is both reliable and predictable for all stakeholders.

Table 2 lists example KPIs that ITS will support. ITS anticipates that KPIs may evolve and change in response to operational needs. This table is not intended to be absolute or final. The Contractor shall work with the City to discuss KPIs in more detail post-award. After those detailed KPIs have been determined and agreed upon by the City, the Contractor shall adhere to those KPIs.

Table 2: Operational Response KPI Examples

Operational Response KPI Examples

Description Interval (minutes)

Acknowledge Alarm, Email, Portal Requests 5 Event Correlation and Impact Assessment 5 Create Ticket, Assign Ticket to Tier 2 5

8.3 Ticketing

The Contractor shall provide a trouble ticketing system that supports and facilitates event management processes. The City requires access to the Contractor’s ticketing system for self-service ticket creation, incident status updates, including escalation and reassignment.

The Contractor’s ticketing system shall be a primary resource for event management statistics and technical details in support of root cause analysis, process improvement, and response SLA reporting.

8.4 Event Management Processes

The Contractor shall be responsible for monitoring, managing, and tracking incidents.

The Contractor is responsible for each of the event management activities listed herein.

RFP: Municipal Fiber Network Operations Center (NOC) Support Services

RFP No.: 2008

8.4.1 Detection and Intake

The Contractor shall be responsible for intake of all detected and reported events. These reported events may originate from a variety of sources.

The Contractor shall be responsible for timely acknowledgement of NMS alarms and reported events from all available sources.

8.4.2 Triage and Impact Assessment

The Contractor shall be responsible for developing and facilitating processes for accurate and timely event triage.

The Contractor shall collaborate with the City post-award to discuss a detailed approach and processes for assessment of operational impact.

8.4.3 Event Prioritization and Communication

The Contractor shall be responsible for assigning and ensuring updates to the priority rating of all events.

Event prioritization shall be determined by the operational criticality of affected City sites, departments, personnel, network resources, the nature of operational impact, or anticipated time to restoration and final resolution.

Detailed processes and criteria for assigning and updating event priority levels will be discussed and documented as a post-award activity with the Contractor.

Table 3 shows examples of how event priority levels will be correlated with performance KPIs for Tier 1 status update intervals and stakeholder notifications.

Table 3: Event Priority, Impact, and Communication

Event Priority and the Tier 1 KPI for Status and Notification Intervals

Priority Impact Update Interval Notifications P4 Planned 24hr Notice, Start, Finish Affected Stakeholders, Tier 2 P3 Low 8 hours, escalations P4 + ITS Management P2 Med 4 hours, escalations P3 + ITS Executives P1 High 1hr, escalations, updates P2 + Departments, Vendors

8.4.4 Assignment

The Contractor shall be responsible for proper assignment of events to the appropriate City support teams. This shall include initial ticket assignment and reassignments based on escalations or direction by the City.

RFP: Municipal Fiber Network Operations Center (NOC) Support Services

RFP No.: 2008

Part B – Scope of Work

All network engineering events shall be assigned to City Tier 2 support. Those events that event priority ranking of P1 shall require immediate contact with ITS Tier 2 support, regardless of day or time.

All fiber and outside plant related events shall be directly assigned to Tier 3 fiber support and maintenance for immediate 24/7 support.

8.4.5 Status Updates

The Contractor shall be responsible for proactively monitoring event status and ensuring timely status updates by assigned resources. Required ticket update intervals are based on event priority ranking. Higher-priority events shall have shorter intervals for capturing incremental progress toward resolution, to reassess event priority and escalation, and to provide the basis for stakeholder communications and subsequent post-event reporting.

8.4.6 Escalation

The Contractor shall be responsible for initial prioritization and assignment of new tickets, followed by proactive monitoring of each event’s status and impact. As an event’s operational scope, impact, or estimated time to repair changes, event priority may be adjusted up or down in real-time. The Contractor shall collaborate to ensure synchronization with assigned technical resources before adjusting event status.

8.4.7 Resolution and Closeout

The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that a final resolution for all managed events is clearly and thoroughly documented.

The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all lessons learned, obstacles, and roadblocks encountered are captured, and recommendations for process improvement are documented.

8.4.8 Reporting

The Contractor shall be responsible for providing regular scheduled reports for NMS detected events, reported events, and summaries of Tier 1 support activities. The Contractor shall collaborate with the City post-award to determine report design, scope, frequency, and metrics.

8. Contractor Responsibilities