JA - Abacus - Redacted.pdf

Abacus Visual Playbook Builder & Automation Orchestrator required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized”.;

the basis for limiting the sources is that Red Hat AAP is the only automation platform possessing the salient characteristics required to meet the Government’s needs, as set forth in Section 5 below. As AAP is a product peculiar to a single manufacturer (Red Hat), this justification supports specifying that brand-name product.

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: The purpose of this effort is to create a Red Hat AAP usable by VISN 23 HTM staff to create an integrated automation platform to streamline Windows and Linux server and workstation provisioning and configuration management across multiple geographically distributed VISN 23 sites.

AAP operated through its default tooling requires authoring automation directly in YAML (yet another markup language) and managing platform constructs at a level of expertise that exceeds the skillsets of the HTM team. To overcome this skill gap, the Government requires a purpose-built web interface that orchestrates AAP around the team’s actual abilities and workflows. The ABACUS System provides that interface, and adds capabilities that do not exist natively in AAP, such as the browser-based upload service for staging the files used to build and configure medical systems. The automation engine underneath that interface must be AAP, because only AAP possesses the combination of salient characteristics the VISN 23 medical environment requires.

The Government’s operating environment imposes constraints that are driven by medical device vendor support agreements and the security posture of the medical VLANs in which these systems reside. Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is the only available product that satisfies all of them. The salient characteristics that make it the only suitable automation platform are:

a. Agentless Operation – AAP manages target systems without installing persistent software agents on them. This is essential because medical device vendor agreements restrict installing third-party agent software on clinical workstations and servers, and an agentless approach is the only way to achieve automation coverage across these systems without jeopardizing vendor support.

b. Native Windows Management via WinRM – AAP manages Windows targets using Windows Remote Management (WinRM), the only remote management protocol permitted on these clinical systems. It also does not require enabling additional network services (such as Open SSH) on the targets.

c. Certificate-based Authentication for Non-Domain-Joined Targets – AAP supports certificate-based authentication to Windows targets that are not joined to an Active Directory domain. This is essential because medical device vendor service agreements may prohibit domain membership for systems running vendor software.

d. Single Platform for Both Windows and Linux – The VISN 23 environment contains both Windows and Linux systems, and AAP manages both with a single automation language and platform, avoiding the need for separate tools.

e. Robust, Stable, Enterprise REST Application Programming Interface (API )–

The ABACUS web orchestrator must integrate programmatically with the automation engine to launch jobs, query status, manage inventory, and stream job output. AAP provides a versioned, documented, enterprise-supported REST API that makes this integration feasible and maintainable.

f. Enterprise Support and Disconnected Content Distribution – AAP provides enterprise vendor support and a supported mechanism for distributing automation content in environments without external network connectivity. This ensures the delivered solution remains supportable through established vendor channels over its operational life.

g. Mature, Certified Windows Automation Library and Broad Ecosystem – AAP provides a comprehensive library of certified Windows automation modules and the largest community ecosystem of any automation platform, providing documentation, training resources, and a broad talent pool that supports long-term maintainability and knowledge transfer.

No other automation platform combines all of these characteristics. Market research (Section 8) confirmed that competing automation technologies are deficient in one or more of these essential areas – variously requiring agent installation on managed systems, requiring additional network services such as SSH on Windows targets, requiring Active Directory domain membership, lacking cross-platform Windows-and- Linux coverage, or lacking an enterprise orchestration API suitable for integration.

Because each alternative fails on at least one constraint that the VISN 23 medical environment cannot relax, no other product meets or can be modified to meet the Government’s needs. Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is therefore the only product capable of serving as the automation engine for this effort.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in section 8 of this justification. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government's requirements. However, the undersigned VA technical representative determined that limited competition is available among authorized resellers for brand name licenses, as well as software maintenance and support. In accordance with FAR 8.405-6(a)(2) this justification will be made publicly available within 14 days of award. Furthermore, in accordance with FAR 8.405-6(b)(3) this justification will be posted with the Request For Quotation.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: While the automation engine must be Red Hat AAP for the technical reasons stated in Section 5, the Government has structured this effort to preserve competition for the surrounding work and for future acquisitions. The Contractor-developed application, supporting services, and integration logic are required to be delivered to the Government as complete source code with full version history and documentation, and the solution is required to avoid proprietary lock-in so that the Government can maintain, modify, or re-compete the system without dependence on the original Contractor. The Government will continue to monitor the marketplace for developments in automation technology that could expand the competitive pool for future sustainment or re-compete actions. Specifically, the Government will continue to monitor the marketplace to determine whether other brand software could integrate into VA's existing suite of applications.

8. Market Research: The Government conducted market research via a Request for Information (RFI). The RFI was posted to SAM.gov Contracting Opportunities on March 25, 2026 and resulted in 11 responses being received. Of the 11 Responses received, 2 were determined to be not capable and the other 9 responses were determined capable. Of the 9 capable vendors, seven were verified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Additionally, no respondents proposed an alternative technology capable of meeting the Government’s stated constraints.

In the Government’s Market Research; Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM) and HCL BigFix were considered and eliminated because each requires a persistent software agent on managed systems which fails to meet VA’s requirements , and MECM additionally requires Active Directory domain membership which is another failure in meeting VAs requirements. Red Hat’s Ansible Automation Platform is the only solution that does not require an agent nor Active Directory domain membership and therefore meets the required characteristics. Thus, the Government’s market research confirmed that Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is the only automation platform possessing the characteristics required to meet the Government’s needs.

On August 18, 2026, the solicitation was originally issued as an SDVOSB set-aside under the GSA MAS Category 54151S. On August 25, 2026, the solicitation closed with no proposals being received. One of the SDVOSB’s that responded to the RFI and was deemed capable, reached out to contracting office to clarify that it was unable to conform to all of the requirements of the solicitation under GSA MAS, however, if the solution was competed under National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) using NAICS 541519 it would be able to conform to all requirements. Taking this information into consideration, including a NASA SEWP V Provider Lookup to confirm that there are 9 SDVOSB Approved Resellers for Red Hat’s products and services, it was determined that pursuing the requirement as an SDVOSB set-aside under NASA SEWP is in the best interest of the Government.

As a result, there is reasonable expectation that competition exists among SDVOSB value added resellers on NASA SEWP for the required RedHat products and technical support services. Evidence of the SDVOSB resellers has been placed in the contract file.

9. Other Facts: None.

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

Best Value Determination I hereby determine that the proposed contract action will represent the best value to the Government consistent with FAR 8.404(d). GSA has already determined that the prices on the FSS contract are fair and reasonable and more competitive pricing may result from competition. Further price analysis, to include an analysis of proposed level of effort and mix of labor, will be conducted and subsequent negotiations held as necessary. Additionally, price discounts will be sought. And finally, the successful quote will be compared with the Independent Government Cost Estimate

Contracting Officer Certification/Approval I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. This contract action exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, but does not exceed $900,000, therefore, the certification required by FAR 8.405-6(d)(1) serves as the Contracting Officer’s approval.