IA02 W9124D-20-Q-6412 Knox EFOJ 2020_77 appvd 10 Sep 20 attachment 3_Redacted.pdf

Control No: MICC 2020-77

FAR 3.104 Procurement Integrity

FAR PART 16 EFOJ

UNDER MULTIPLE AWARD INDEFINITE DELIVERY CONTRACTS

FOR ACTIONS EXCEEDING THE SAT

1. Contracting Activity: U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) - Fort Knox, 199 6th Avenue, Suite 250, Fort Knox, Kentucky.

2. Description of Action: The HRC requests a firm-fixed-price contract for FlexPod Datacenter converged infrastructure solution (FlexPod Datacenter solution). The Department of the Army mandates the use of the Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software & Solutions (CHESS) to obtain all Information Technology (IT) products regardless of dollar amount. The Government projects award for September 2020 and fiscal year 2020 Other Procurement Army (OPA) and Operation and Maintenance Appropriations (OMA) funds have been budgeted. An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d)(i)(B).

3. Description of Supplies: This contract action is for the purchase of FlexPod Datacenter solution developed by Cisco and NetApp that provides integrated computing, networking, and storage solutions. The solution includes multiple pre-determined components as outlined on Attachment_A_FlexPod_Components.pdf (Attachment A).

Period of Coverage:

Total Value:

4. Authority Cited:

one manufacturer (e.g., a particular brand-name, product, or a feature of a product that is peculiar to one manufacturer).

5. Reason for Authority Cited: A validated FlexPod Datacenter solution is required for the following reasons:

a. This procurement requests the FlexPod DataCenter solution to integrate with current computing environment to enable HRC to improve current service delivery and access to applications while minimizing infrastructure disruptions. HRC must retain the existing architecture, and integrate with the FlexPod DataCenter solution, in order to perform the modernization required to achieve the 2019 Army Data Plan (ADP), 2020

Datacenter Solution: FlexPod Datacenter Solution

Army Cloud Plan (ACP) and the Army Enterprise Data Center (AEDC) objectives and timelines outlined therein. Existing HRC systems include Cisco components; which utilize Cisco proprietary protocols (network) within the communications algorithm. HRC also utilizes NetAPP and VMWare to sustain the existing systems and requires the FlexPod components to be compatible with these technologies.

b. FlexPod DataCenter solution is a converged infrastructure and software defined solution designed to overcome the limitations and inefficiencies of the independent silo structure of traditional IT storage and compute. To minimize compatibility issues and simplify management, converged solutions join computing, networking, storage, systems administration, and software together in a preconfigured package that operates and is managed as a single converged system that delivers faster time to value. The requested solution must be industry validated to ensure all hardware and software components integrate natively and are tested to avoid costly delays in installation and deployment. The validated FlexPod Datacenter architecture designed and validated by Cisco and NetApp meets the needs of enterprise customers and service providers.

Cisco Validated Designs (CVDs) consist of systems and solutions that are designed, tested, and documented to facilitate and improve customer deployments. The CVD program consists of systems and solutions designed, tested, and documented to facilitate faster, more reliable, and more predictable customer deployments.

c. FlexPod Datacenter solution includes hardware and software as outlined in

Attachment A, to include Cisco branded products, which is the primary protocol within HRC. Cisco branded products are covered under the Department of Defense Joint Enterprise Level Agreement (JELA) contract that covers all Cisco products in use on Army networks. If and when the need arises to open an incident with Cisco Support (TAC), the entirety of the product to include chassis, power supplies and enhanced High-speed WAN Interface Cards are fully covered under the Cisco support contract.

The support provided by the JELA provides next-level technical assistance to troubleshoot, diagnose and remediate complicated and sophisticated network issues during unscheduled outages. Alternative solutions as described herein do not sufficiently support the current infrastructure, while still supporting the Army mandate.

d. By purchase of the FlexPod Datacenter solution, inclusive of elements under

Attachment A, there would be consistency in reach back for technical support of the critical protocol, Cisco. Cisco will not provide technical support for Non-Cisco brand Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) (adapters) installed in a Cisco chassis across the large HRC Datacenter footprint (one is required approximately every 100 feet). When non-Cisco brand SFPs are installed into a Cisco chassis, the following warning appears:

third-party transceivers installed by a customer or reseller, then, at Cisco's discretion, Cisco may withhold support under warranty or a Cisco support program. In the course of providing support for a Cisco networking product Cisco may require that the end user install Cisco transceivers if Cisco determines that removing third-party parts will assist

Datacenter Solution: FlexPod Datacenter to be installed in the Cisco chassis, the Cisco technician will stop troubleshooting until the non-Cisco SFP modules are replaced with Cisco branded SFP modules. If no Cisco branded SFP modules are available, the technical support case will be put on hold until the SFP module can be replaced with a Cisco product. This causes extended outages and potential mission failure.

e. The FlexPod Datacenter solution, encompasses hardware and software upon which the current HRC workforce of Network Engineers, Storage Engineers and System Administrators are trained and certified to support their platforms. Having this organic knowledge and experience greatly reduces the time to restore functionality during unscheduled outages. Altering the current systems to accommodate changed platforms would result in training requirements before any implementation. This organic capability adds proficiency and efficiency and saves the government money by maintaining high availability and reducing outage duration. Implementing hardware and software from other vendors would require substantive changes to the current system architecture, and increase the cost of training and prolong the duration of outages affecting mission effectiveness.

f. Alternatives: Prior to a final decision on an appropriate solution needed to meet the Army mandate, in addition to FlexPod Datacenter HRC also evaluated the following alternatives, using available industry resources of product comparisons, customer feedback, vendor data sheets, and personnel experience of the alternatives outlined herein:

1) Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) paired with Solid State Drive (SSD):

Traditional Infrastructure from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) paired with Solid State Drive (SSD) storage overlaid with VMWare virtualization was given consideration. HRC has a tremendous amount of first-hand experience with Traditional Infrastructure and this solution is not designed for modern technologies and modernization is the intended outcome of this effort. Had this been the chosen approach, it would have entailed separate component part purchases with subsequent integration into the existing system; as such analysis revealed it would have lesser scalability than the alternatives.

Diverse components are not universally compatible across systems or manufacturers;

this approach would be cost prohibitive as research indicated current system components would have to be replaced resulting in sunk costs of components in place for the existing HRC Datacenter architecture. In addition, as noted above, altering the current systems to accommodate changed components would result in training requirements before implementation, again resulting in sunk training costs and potential reduction of organic expertise.

2) Hyper Converged Infrastructure from Dell EMC: Hyper Converged

Infrastructure from Dell EMC was considered and the analysis revealed the solution was not compatible with the customized application workloads needed by HRC (i.e. custom applications: Government off the Shelf (GOTS), spanning numerous programming languages and software frameworks supported by numerous database technologies) .

Decisions were also based on first-hand experience from using Hyper Converged Infrastructure that resulted in identifying the limitation of the Infrastructure not being able to meet the HRC customized application workloads requirements. Similar to Traditional Infrastructure, diverse components are not universally compatible across systems or manufacturers; this approach would be cost prohibitive as research indicated current system components would have to be replaced resulting in sunk costs of components in place for the existing HRC Datacenter architecture. In addition, as noted above, altering the current systems to accommodate changed components would result in training requirements before implementation, again resulting sunk training costs and potential reduction of organic expertise.

g. If this request is not approved, there is an unacceptable level of risk to HRC to deliver application, network, compute and storage services that could make it difficult or impossible for our customers and stakeholders to perform their functions that support the Mission. If the network, compute or storage is degraded or has a total outage, every customer that needs access to an application may stop functioning, including all accessioning and HR applications.

6. Actions to Increase Competition: HRC performed market research as described in the following Market Research paragraph for over a year utilizing websites of recognized leaders in the cloud environment and also issued a Request for Information (RFI) via CHESS to determine if vendors were available therein to meet HRC needs in relation to the infrastructure requirements. Following customer RFI posting and findings, MICC-Fort Knox issued a separate RFI to ascertain if the vendors under the CHESS platform could meet the need. Upon receipt of industry inquiries from CHESS vendors, it was apparent the RFI posted by MICC-Fort Knox packaged the requirement as components, in lieu of one for a solution. Accordingly, on 21 August 2020, MICC- Fort Knox posted a second RFI to determine if vendors under the CHESS platform would be able to provide a converged infrastructure solution compatible with the current HRC Datacenter system architecture.

7. Market Research: HRC conducted market research over the past year in the development of this requirement to determine the optimum infrastructure needed to support the Army mandate as outlined herein. HRC researched numerous web sites and initiated a RFI through the Army CHESS program. HRC research was initially limited in scope to a name brand converged infrastructure solution (FlexPod) and received three (3) RFI responses, each was reviewed. Government Acquisitions Inc.

confirmation that FlexPod Datacenter converged infrastructure is available within the CHESS platform. As HRC research was initially limited in scope to a name brand converged infrastructure solution (FlexPod) and received limited response, it was determined prudent to reassess the CHESS platform market place by issuing a separate RFI for the type of infrastructure necessary to meet the need, with specific characteristics in lieu of name brand. Four (4) responses were received on 26 August 2020 and only one (1) of the four responses presented a converged infrastructure

FAR 3.104 Procurement Integrity

9. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: See Electronic Signature Network Management Branch

Date: See Electronic Signature Systems Management Branch

10. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: See Electronic Signature

Program Manager

11. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. This determination will be made using price analysis IAW FAR15.404-1(b). As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data will not be required and the following exception applies: FAR 15.403(b)(3), a commercial item is being acquired.

Date: See Electronic Signature

Contracting Officer

12. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Date: See Electronic Signature

Contracting Officer

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of FlexPod Datacenter solution using an exception to fair opportunity pursuant to the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 16.505(a)(4), Restricting consideration to an item peculiar to one manufacturer. The estimated value of the contract action is $20.5 million with initial award estimated 21 September 2020, with immediate execution of solution component manufacture and delivery to commence no later than 30 September 2020 to meet the Army 90 day implementation of modernization efforts by December 2020. This approval is subject to availability of funds, and provided that the supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

WADE C. COLE

Senior Contracting Official U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX