ASM_Upgrade_BNJ_07_30_2014.docx

Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity Oracle-Sun Data Storage System Upgrade

(1) Identification of Agency/Contract Activity: U.S. EPA/RTP-POD/OARMSC/OEI Team

(2) Nature Description of Action: Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity / Name Brand Justification

(3) Description of Supply: Oracle-Sun Storage System Upgrade Components and Original Equipment Manufacturer-Certified (OEM-Certified) Installation and Maintenance Services. Estimated Value $903,311.00

(4) Statutory Authority: FAR 16.505 (b) (2) (i) (B); FAR 16.505 (a) (4) (ii)

The components in this purchase request (PR-OEI-14-00354) are for the upgrade of EPA’s data storage system, called the Archival Storage Management System (ASM), in the National Computer Center (NCC), Durham, North Carolina. The NCC ASM maintains mission scientific modeling and analyses files for both the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) and the Office of Research and Development (ORD). This system is an Oracle hardware combination of Sun UNIX servers and disc sub-systems, Sun tape drives, StorageTek Tape Library, and Oracle-Sun management software. An upgrade is required:

1. Since current management equipment and associated operating system version have entered “end-of-life” status and Oracle will no longer provide updates and patches;

2. To provide increased data transfer capacity to match the demands of the expanded capabilities of the environmental modeling and analyses of EPA’s High Performance Computing (HPC) system.

3. Also, to add cabling, power controls, and high-density tape drives, which are necessary, because the back-up ASM at EPA’s Reproductive Toxicology Facility (RTF) ASM will be de-commissioned in 2014 and the tapes in that system must move to the NCC.

This expansion is required and essential for both ORD and OAR to meet mission requirement of maintaining both collected data and resultant data from environmental modeling and analyses output. Without this upgrade the expanded scientific High Performance Computing system will be choked waiting on data movement between it and the ASM. This choked data movement will waste compute cycles and reduce modeling/analyses activity and output. Market research has demonstrated that upgrading the existing Oracle-Sun ASM with components from other brands is not feasible. The reasons are as follows:

1) The existing Oracle-Sun ASM file system (SAM-QFS) requires SPARC (from scalable processor architecture) servers running Solaris 11 Operating System (OS) and T10KC or above tape drive technology for Data Integrity Validation (DIV). DIV ensures that data loss/corruption has not occurred during file transfers and it is a key EPA requirement. Only Oracle-Sun markets a SPARC server that can run under Solaris 11.

2) The other major equipment component in this ASM upgrade requirement is the disk storage subsystem. While theoretically EPA could use a disk storage subsystem from an alternate source, Oracle’s ZFS Storage Appliance technology is the only Oracle-certified and supported disk storage subsystem that is available to the EPA for upgrading its existing ASM. Using any other disk storage subsystem would cause Oracle support for EPA’s ASM to cease and potentially disrupt mission-related environmental research being done on EPA’s HPC.

3) EPA needs a turn-key integrated solution for its ASM requirement that can be installed, supported and maintained by a single vendor to ensure continuity of operations. Having to rely on multiple vendors for these activities would greatly increase the time to resolve/remediate equipment failures, the operational workload, and more importantly, the potential for serious service disruptions.

4) Ongoing market research has also shown that Rreplacing the current NCC ASM with any other system brand is prohibitive because of the complexity of moving to an entirely new hardware and software architecture and the prolonged adverse operational impact (including service disruption) that converting roughly 10 petabytes of data (~ 30 million files) on 12,000+ tapes to a new format and integrating the new ASM system with the HPC environment at the NCC will inevitably cause. The data conversion to the new format is estimated to take between six to twelve months, involve at least two highly-skilled data management specialists, a dedicated project manager and significant Federal oversight. There will also be a need for re-training users. Besides the additional cost burden that the data conversion and user re-training described above would impose, the migration will also consume a huge portion of ASM server resources and this will seriously slow down file transfers and negatively impact user productivity. No options exist to mitigate these negative impacts while migrating to another OEM’s technology for this requirement. Therefore only Oracle or it’s resellers is capable of providing a solution that will enable EPA to upgrade its ASM capabilities at the NCC without serious disruption to EPA’s mission-related HPC needs for environmental research. .

5) Therefore only Oracle or it’s resellers is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies and services ordered are unique and highly specialized.

Given the highly-specialized nature of this technology and its complexity, it is also essential that the delivered system is installed and maintained to OEM standards by an OEM-certified installation and maintenance provider. OEM-trained technicians and engineers thoroughly familiar with the solution architecture and its hardware and software components are required for the installation process which includes configuring the system for optimal performance and integrating it with the existing infrastructure. Likewise, maintenance of the system also requires such specialized skills and training as well as ready access to parts to replace failing components, to knowledge bases for problem diagnosis, and higher levels of specialized expertise for problem escalation. Our market research indicates that there are no non-OEM-certified providers who have the resources and capabilities described above to provide the required installation and maintenance support.

(5) Fair and Reasonable Pricing: Market research indicates that this requirement can be obtained through the Nasa SEWP IV Contract including the components, installation and maintenance services. SEWP is a multi-award Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) vehicle focused on IT products and product based services. As an OMB authorized GWAC, SEWP contracts are available to all federal agencies.

All SEWP prices are considered fair and reasonable. The SEWP contracts are Part 12 Commercial Contracts, and additional price analysis was done in accordance with the following: The price design for SEWP is a negotiated discount off the offerors commercial list price. Price analysis was conducted in accordance with FAR 15.305(a) (1), to ensure that a "fair and reasonable” price is paid by the Government. Reasonableness of proposed prices was established in accordance with 15.403-l(c)(l)(i)(B) which provides that a price is based on adequate price competition if two or more responsible offerors, competing independently submit priced offers that satisfy the Government's expressed requirement and there is not any finding that the price of an otherwise successful offer is unreasonable. To verify price reasonableness, offerors were instructed to submit their published price catalog or published schedule of list prices in a form regularly maintained by the manufacturer or offerors, such as a catalog, price list, schedule, or other verifiable and established record. Additionally, each contractor offered a discount off of product categories (such as Input-output device) of IT equipment. These discounts remain for the life of the contract. Therefore, when new technology is added or list prices change due to market fluctuations, the SEWP price remains fair and reasonable. One adAdditionally, ditional piece of information, NASA contracts state that a SEWP Prime Contractor cannot offer prices higher on their SEWP contract than is offered on their GSA contract.

Therefore, the Contracting Officer has determined, based on the above, that the anticipated cost to the Government for the purchase of the components, installation and maintenance services will be fair and reasonable.

(6) Other Facts: N/A

(7) A statement of actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers: No actions are currently available to remove or overcome any barriers that preclude the Agency from meeting the requirements, because of the nature of the items being procured. However, before any subsequent acquisitions for this service are pursued, detailed market research will be performed to determine if any new sources are available for this trend of maintenance and license renewalrequirement.

(8) Competition / Fair Opportunity: This procurement will be competed under the GWAC - SEWP IV. Competition Requirements when using a SEWP contract per FAR 16.505(b)(1) provides that each contractor shall be given fair opportunity to be considered for each order exceeding $3,000.00 and issued under multiple award contracts. At a minimum, to provide Fair Opportunity, all contract Holders within any one of the four individual competed Groups must be provided Opportunity. For maximum competition one, two, three or all four Groups can be selected. The SEWP online RFI/RFQ tool is the recommended method to assist in this activity and to augment the required decision documentation.

Reasonableness of proposed prices was established in accordance with 15.403-1(c)(1)(i)(B) which provides that a price is based on adequate price competition if two or more responsible offerors, competing independently submit priced offers that satisfy the Government’s expressed requirement and there is not any finding that the price of an otherwise successful offer is unreasonable. To verify price reasonableness, offerors were instructed to submit their published price catalog or published schedule of list prices in a form regularly maintained by the manufacturer or offerors, such as a catalog, price list, schedule, or other verifiable and established record. Additionally, each contractor offered a discount off product categories (such as input-output device) of IT equipment.

These discounts remain for the life of the contract. Therefore, when new technology is added or list prices change due to market fluctuations, the SEWP price remains fair and reasonable. One additional piece of information, NASA contacts state that a SEWP Prime Contractor cannot offer prices higher on their SEWP contract than is offered on their GSA contract.

(9) Evidence that any supporting data that is the responsibility of technical or requirements personnel and which form a basis for the justification have been certified as complete and accurate by the technical requirements personnel.

Program Office Certification: I hereby certify than any supporting data which forms the basis for this Justification is complete and accurate.

(10) Written determination by the approving official that one of the circumstances in (b) (2) (i) (B) applies to the order.

Contracting Officer Certification: I hereby certify that any supporting data which forms the basis for this Justification is complete and accurate.

Reviewed by:

Laconda Cannady

Review:

Office of General Counsel

Review:

“signed by” Lauranne Vogel, Service Center Manager 07/31/2014

OARM Service Center Manager

Review:

“concurred by” Sara McGraw, Attorney-Advisor 08/11/2014

Office of General Counsel

Approved:

“signed by” Susan Moroni, Competition Advocate 08/13/2014

Competition Advocate, OAM

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