Vendor questions 76-92.doc

Vendor Questions 76-92 Q-76. After much discussion with our engineer we have concluded that there is still no real definition of what the network requirements are for the DISA/DeCA Broadband/Vsat RFP. Below are paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 from the DeCA_PWS 1.1 Purpose:

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) requires a “turn-key” Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) Managed and Integrated Broadband/Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) network solution that augments* the existing terrestrial network, and provides data communications to commissaries worldwide (approximately 174 CONUS and 86 OCONUS locations) and Central Distribution Centers (CDCs) worldwide (10 OCONUS). The “turn-key” solution shall provide all COTS equipment, wiring, cables, connectors, components and services as necessary to install and implement a complete and operable Broadband/VSAT solution.

The Broadband component shall consist of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technologies, to include Asynchronous DSL (ADSL), Symmetric DSL (SDSL), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) DSL (IDSL) or digital cable type technologies, as appropriate and/or available. Where COTS Broadband service is not available, no COTS Broadband component of the Broadband/VSAT solution is required. Where VSAT service is not available, no VSAT component of the Broadband/VSAT solution is required.

The Government anticipates extending the Managed Broadband/VSAT** service to all CONUS/OCONUS locations.

Questions: *Augments - does this mean that the network is an augmentation to existing terrestrial or is it intended to be a /*"stand alone*,/ /*redundant network,"* /in the event of the loss or degradation of existing AT&T/Sprint et al, terrestrial services?

We ask this due to the Managed Network requirement. The "DSL" primary, according to Amended DSL-VSAT Attachement 4a shows the primary as DSL (this would require local telecom support) and secondary as Vsat. However, if the entire network is to be a "Managed Network" , the Contractor would have no control over network quality or reliability for local connections and could not commit to providing trouble response in the required 4 hour time frame.

A-76. Augment: to provide added capability; to run concurrently with, to run redundant with, to function in a stand alone mode when other transport capabilities have failed.

Managed Broadband/VSAT service: the vendor to either directly or indirectly through a subcontract manage both the DSL and VSAT components of the integrated solution.

Q-77. ** Managed Network - to have the ability to provide 100% network management, control and security, the network would have to be Vsat as primary and DSL, etc. as secondary. Additionally, DSL, ISDN, etc. are wire line technologies not supported by Vsat. However, Vsat does support IPv4 technology and as promulgated, this is to be "an IPv4 based network upgradable to IPv6". The "and/or" option for providing service via either DSL or Vsat would not allow a Contractor to meet the terms and conditions of the PWS. If the option of providing the service via DSL, ISDN, etc. is a viable option for the Government, then it would probably be easier and cheaper for each store manager to procure services locally than to build out a network. Essentially, with the documentation provided, there is no clear definition of what type of network the Government wants.

The question is, does the Government want a network that can truly be controlled, managed and secure, or simply an augmentation to existing terrestrial which the Contractor cannot guarantee be secure, controlled or managed?

A-77. See answer to Q-76.

Q-78. Pricing varies by region for service, installation, and shipping. Can unique costs be provided for each of the 4 different priced regions (CONUS, Europe, Pac Rim, Guam), instead of blending prices across regions? Can we provide by region pricing for each of the following areas:

Fixed Satellite Equipment

VSAT Satellite Space Segment

Maintenance

Multicast Bandwidth

Portable/Deployable Satellite System

A-78. Section B, Attachment 13 has been updated to reflect 4 pricing regions. Since the Broadband portion is listed as a pass through, the multiple lines have been deleted and only 1 service and 1 equipment pass through line remains. You do not have to fill in a price for these items as we realize this price will be different for each location.

Q-79. Please clarify what is expected in the “pass through” box of the pricing spreadsheet. Are we expected to bid a percentage over cost? If we have by location broadband pricing, should that be provided as an attachment?

A-79. Please refer to questions and answers 19 and 38 in Amendment 0001. No pricing is required, see amended Section B-Amendment 0003. Once again, this is a firm fixed-price contract.

Q-80. Can we provide additional CLINs?

A-80. No, this is firm fixed-price contract and we cannot do a price evaluation if offerors have inserted their own CLINs.

Q-81. Attachment 5. What are the required sizes of the terrestrial circuits? Are they dedicated circuits or is a VPN tunnel allowed?

A-81. Ref PWS 2.1.6, Attachment 5 provides a notional representation of DeCA’s core network as it exists now. The vendor’s are not sizing or pricing DeCA’s core network.

Q-82. SF 1449, page 3, paragraph 1. What are the minimum quantities?

A-82. The minimum quantities would be the pilot sites. There are some quantities listed in Section B, the pricing pages, but this is an ID/IQ contract, so the ordering clauses 52.216-18 and 52.216-19 are in effect. Each location will be ordered via a delivery order depending upon availability of funds and cost effectiveness.

Q-83. If an IPSEC tunnel is required from the terrestrial nodes to each individual store, the multicast would have to be redistributed into unique unicast tunnels. At 15Mbps, this redistribution would likely be overwhelming to the node router's CPU and require an excessively large backhaul. As an alternative, can the multicast server be installed at the Contractor's NOC?

A-83. Vendors should propose a solution that makes technical sense. Sending multicast traffic through unicast tunnels is questionable. Ref PWS 2.1.2, last sentence: “The Contractor’s solution shall ensure data security/encryption during transmission.” does not require multicast to use the site specific VPN tunnels managed by DeCA.

Q-84. Reference question/answer 73, which refers one to question 27 in Amendment 0001 and amended attachment 3, and the original attachment 2 and the modified RFP.

The Amended RFP waives the testing of the Broadband component; however, the broadband modem is shown to be part of the vendor requirement in the revised attachment 3. The revised attachment does not show a server for multicast testing; however, question 27 states the vendor will test the full capability of the system.

A-84. The vendor is the technical expert for their solution. If a multicast server is part of the vendor’s proposed solution, they should provide one for the OCD in whatever configuration and location is appropriate.

Q-85. Do you expect testing of a multicast carrier with the originating and terminating software and encryption (security) for the OCD test at Fort Lee? On which equipment as shown on attachment 3 should this software be loaded?

A-85. Assume the agent will be loaded on a GFE PC as required by the PWS; it will be located in the test bed.

Q-86. What Bandwidth Multicast carrier should be used to show the capability of multicasting?

A-86. The vendor is the technical expert for their solution. Capability testing demonstrate’s the vendor’s solution is capable of meeting PWS requirements.

Q-87. Since no equipment is shown in attachment 3 for multicast, where will it originate, from Fort Lee, or from the Vendor Teleport?

A-87. See answer to question 85 and 86.

Q-88. Do you expect the vendor to provide a broadband modem but not test it (waived requirement) at the OCD test at Fort Lee?

A-88. No.

Q-89. Do the changes affect the test plan in the original attachment #2 for testing at Fort Lee?

A-89. The DSL component cannot be tested without DSL.

Q-90. As it pertains to bandwidth, what size store is the HQ CARTS Test Bed supposed to portray?

A-90. Store size is irrelevant. The purpose of the test is to ensure basic CARTS functionality in a VSAT environment.

Q-91. This is in reference to: PWS paragraph 2.1.2 and Q&A 42 and 64 regarding multicast,

a. The PWS call for encryption of the Multicast data. Is this encryption required on the Satellite transmission (AES link encryption) path and terrestrial line between satellite HUB and DeCA multicast source site?

OR

b. End to en encryption between DeCA GFE routers. In this case DeCA router will be responsible of establishing an end-to-end security path. Did GFE routers support the group VPN for multicast end to end VPN multicast? If YES will the contractor have access to GFE routers for multicast configurations?

A-91a: yes A-91b: no.

Q-92. Reference to PWS paragraph 2.1.4 traffic profile, we would like a clarification on the last column (VSAT (Kbps) UP/DOWN of the traffic profile table. The data rate indicated in this column represent the traffic requirement per site type, or is this an indication on the inbound and outbound carriers that can be shared considering a given contention ratio?

A-92.The context of this requirement is per site; each column represents a per site requirement.

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