L1 - Solicitation Questions and Answers - Round 2 Government Response.xlsx

Instructions

COLUMN A: Complete the "Page" column. This is the page number from the RFP located in the upper right hand corner of the page. Do not include the total page number. Enter only the page number where the topic begins.

COLUMN B: Complete the "Section/Paragraph" column with the applicable section and paragraph number (if applicable) of the RFP. For example: B2, C, or L5.1.2. For a section and paragraph number reference do not place a dot between the letter and the first number. Additional subparagraph references should be separated with a dot regardless of the format in the RFP, for example, L5.1.2.a. Do not including any other extraneous identifiers or other information other then instructed here. If the reference is to a CLIN, Clause, Appendix, or Attachment etc. the entry goes in the next column. At a minimum you will always insert at least the Section letter A through J in this column.

COLUMN C: Complete the "CLIN/Clause/Other" column. Insert the CLIN, Clause, Provision, Appendix, or Attachment number. For example: CLIN 0001, 52.217-8, Appendix A, or Attachment L3. Insert the section letter only in the Column B. This column will be completed only when there is not a more precise RFP reference number. NOTES: CLINs are in Section B. Most sections contain clauses so ensure you reference the correct section.

COLUMN D: Complete the Questions/Comments/Recommendations column. Start the question by referencing the topic. This may help the sort process. For example: Minimum Qualifications Checklist or Performance Area 10. Then insert the question or comment.

Issues must be submitted to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist listed in the beta.SAM Announcement.

Q&A

Nature of Commitment describes the commitment to the small business from the prime contractor, such as a written agreement, oral agreement, or a Teaming Arrangement.

5 PWS Section 6 There are requirements for interactions with customers and systems which include an on line support portal, flow feeds, and API's. For each type of communication will the customer side be on the Internet, from behind one of the DXP gateways, behind the DREN3 gateway or on the DREN4 network?

If on the DREN4 network, since this would require an SDP, is the SDP's needed for these various communications already included in the list of SDP locations or incremental? If incremental, what are the addresses and bandwidth requirements of these additional SDP's? Customers access the on line support portal, and API's from the DREN4 network including DREN III through the transition gateway. Flow feeds are sent to systems on the DREN4 network.

All Contractor DREN management and support systems shall be within the DREN Authorization Boundary. The Government will not order a DREN Node (or any Functions) for the Contractor's management and support network connectivity. It is up to the offeror to propose the connectivity for all such communications (e.g., NOC, PMO and SMS).

Amendment_0002 modifies the PWS with updated Figures 6.2 and 6.3 to reflect the delivery of IATT RMF artifacts 220 days after contract award.

What speed handoff will the contractor be receiving from DREN III?

If multiple ports please provide how many.

Is the connectivity between DREN III & DREN 4 at the transition gateway sites being back-to-back connections?

DCNs are a key architectural component newly introduced in DREN4. In DREN III, network visibility and control occurs at the edge. In DREN4, network visibility and control is moved to the middle to form an "intelligent core" (PWS Paragraph 6) using DCNs. "The DCN will provide flexible routing, encryption, and security for the core of DREN4" (PWS Paragraph 6.2.0.2.2). There is no similar architectural component in DREN III.

15 L1_-_Solicitation_Questions_and_Answers_-_Round_1_Government_Response Question 145 Offeror understands Government's response to question 145. However, this offeror concurs with the premise of the other offeror's original question. The Government did not provide specific detail about DRENIII in regards to current DCN locations nor current collective groups nor is the Government willing to share to all offeror's its projected procurement buying estimates. By failing to do so, the current incumbent is significantly advantaged over its DREN4 competitors. There are no DCNs in the current DREN III architecture or implementation.

The PWS clearly states that there are three Collectives and provides the character of those Collectives (PWS 6.1.0.1).

All offerors are cautioned to carefully read the DREN4 RFP requirements and recognize that DREN4, other than basic functionality, differs significantly from DREN III. Many of the DREN4 requirements are new and therefore not part of DREN III; see PWS Paragraph 6 introduction.

The Government is not providing the Price Evaluation Model nor any "buying estimates" to any offerors so that all have the exact same information and no offeror has an advantage. Coincident to Amendement_0002 the existing site bandwidths are added to the SDP and DXP Locations spreadsheet so that all offerors have that information.

16 L1_-_Solicitation_Questions_and_Answers_-_Round_1_Government_Response Question 147 Offeror understands why Government's Price Evaluation Model is using 48 DCNs as an evaluation baseline as a matter of level setting for all DREN4 offerors. The Government's Price Evaluation Model that includes the current DREN III architecture only advantages the current incumbent while not providing an evaluation model that will evaluate the true merit of each vendor's solutions in today's environment.

No DREN 4 competitor would logically offer a technical architecture nor cost and price the current incumbent's architecture. Does the Government plan to use multiple scenarios as part of the Price Evaluation Model?

If yes, then what do these scenarios look like and how will they be weighed? As an example, scenarios such as an "as is" model, "future" model, and "aggressive future" model each with a separate weighting factor. The Price Evaluation Model is not based upon the DREN III architecture.

DCNs are a key architectural component newly introduced in DREN4. In DREN III, network visibility and control occurs at the edge. In DREN4, network visibility and control is moved to the middle to form an "intelligent core" (PWS Paragraph 6) using DCNs. "The DCN will provide flexible routing, encryption, and security for the core of DREN4" (PWS Paragraph 6.2.0.2.2). There is no similar architectural component in DREN III.

No. There is a single scenario for the DREN4 Price Evaluation Model.

17 L1_-_Solicitation_Questions_and_Answers_-_Round_1_Government_Response Question 148 Offeror concurs with original offeror's question and premise. If the current DREN III DCN number is 48 then the current incumbent is advantaged. If 48 is just a representative evaluation baseline number, then how does the Government plan to weigh innovative and more cost effective and efficient network designs? The Price Evaluation Model is not based upon the DREN III architecture.

DCNs are a key architectural component newly introduced in DREN4. In DREN III, network visibility and control occurs at the edge. In DREN4, network visibility and control is moved to the middle to form an "intelligent core" (PWS Paragraph 6) using DCNs. "The DCN will provide flexible routing, encryption, and security for the core of DREN4" (PWS Paragraph 6.2.0.2.2). There is no similar architectural component in DREN III.

Innovative and efficient network designs will be evaluated in Factor 3 "Technical/Management Approach" including the offerors first draft DCN Placement Proposed Map(s) and first draft DCN Placement Proposed Report which Amendment_0002 corrects to include in Sections L and M. The Government selected 48 DCNs for the Price Evaluation Model to ensure a common evaluation baseline for Factor 5, "Price." Offerors are reminded that this is a best value trade-off source selection conducted in accordance with Section M in particular M2.1 (2).

18 L1_-_Solicitation_Questions_and_Answers_-_Round_1_Government_Response Question 149 Offeror concurs with original offeror's question and premise. Offeror also understands Government does not want to release Price Evaluation Model. However, only the current incumbent understands current site dependencies and requirements and is greatly advantage in designing, costing and ultimately pricing DREN4. Respectfully request Government provide estimates of line rates for DXP locations? Coincident with Amendment_0002, the SDP and DXP Locations spreadsheet has been updated to add a column with DREN III current site bandwidths. DREN III IAPs are listed under the DXP tab. DREN III Internet Transit Service (ITS), currently collocated at two IAPs, is also included in the updated spreadsheet. Amendment_0002 updates the PWS to make it clear that "the Government will order ITS as an add-on to an ordered DCN or DXP."

Note: DREN III bandwidths and locations are a snapshot in time. This information does not predict nor commit the Government to future orders at these sites or bandwidths.

The monthly service charge in 52.211-11 is a reasonable cost to the Government to keep DREN III running, if the sites on DREN III are not transitioned by the Contractor to DREN4 in the required time.

The negative incentive of 6.5.1 still applies.

Many networking companies now use the term "intent" to encompass high-level descriptions of network services which are to be implemented via orchestration systems. To avoid limiting offerors choices, the Government is not requiring a specific intent format. Amendment_0002 of the PWS updates the requirement that the Orchestration system shall accept some form of intent as input as opposed to a specific template format.

The size of the Orchestration system shall be sufficient to control all of the separately orderable Functions which the Government has designated for Orchestration. The Government cannot predict how many functions will be ordered and how many of those would be designated for Orchestration since capability, price, and usability will depend on the offered solution. A benefit of the automation provided by an orchestration system is that it can readily accomodate large numbers of devices. Amendment_0002 of the PWS clarifies the Orchestration control by the Government to only apply to designated Functions.

As answered in round1:

Responding to cyber-attacks such as DoS and DDoS is a shared responsibility. While the Government may implement protections in the Security Gateways (6.1.2.9.5) or other components managed by the Government, the Contractor is required to facilitate attack mitigation through application of protections in the components it provides. Blocking of traffic through manual or automated application of an ACL in a router is such a mechanism. Rate limiting of particular flows is another mechanism. If such attacks cause the network to fail to meet requirements, the Contractor shall use such mechanisms, in close coordination with the Government, to quickly respond and restore network performance within requirements.

No additional transport or bandwidth needs to be provisioned to support this.