Additional_Questions__2.docx

Additional Questions

Q: The answer to question 9 from the questions and answers published on 04/04/2014 told us to reference the usage report in attachment 4 to see the annual CPU usage for calendar year 1013.

When we total column Z (total CPU seconds) in Attachment 4, we calculate 25,488,100 CPU Seconds. You also noted in the answer to question 9 the CPU seconds in this table are in thousandths of a native CPU second. Thus, this true total would be 25,488.1 CPU seconds running on the Z10 machine. Using the 40.7 equivalency factor in the RFP, this would then be 1,037,365.6 CPU seconds for the 3090-200E CPU.

When we take the Section B Pricing Table for the base year and total the Estimated Usage (Column C rows 10-23), we get a total of 14,565,110.

Can you help us reconcile these two numbers?

A: The answer to question 9 is the total dollar amount spent for FY 13 and FY 14 to date. Based on the context of your question, we assume you are asking for clarification on the answer to question 10.

Please base your pricing on the Estimated Usage volumes listed in “Section B-Pricing Tables.” The total CPU Seconds for the Base Year amounts to 14,279,520, not the 14,565,110 you had stated. That 14,565,110 amount is the estimated usage for Option Year 1.

Upon further review, we found that we had made an error in our answer. The values in “Attachment 4-Daily Usage Summary” are expressed in hundredths of a native CPU second, not thousandths. Also, the data for the month of May was incorrect, so we are updating and reposting the amended attachment. However, please keep in mind that the values in the “Daily Usage Summary” will still not directly match our estimated usage values in “Section B-Pricing Tables,” because it represents data for one user account, which while the largest user, does not represent the entire contract’s estimated usage. Also, as stated in the RFP, the Daily Usage Summary was provided because it is “representative of the usage trends and cycles of the BLS and provided for informational purposes only.” The intent of the table was to demonstrate the cyclical nature of the work at BLS, and not for pricing purposes.