Justification For An Exception to Fair Opportunity.pdf

JUSTIFICATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

FAR Part 16.505(aXa)

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity

The Office of Acquisition l\4anagement proposes to enter into a delivery order for the purchase of HPE Apollo Hardware under multiple award contract with exception to fair opporfunity for the HPE Hardware Refresh for new physical seryers and the support maintenance on behalf of Information Resource Management, Enterprise Network Management Office ( I RM/OPS/ENM).

Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

The HPE physical hardware will provide the Department the ability to provide site redundancy to all of the IIPE Apollo domain controllers and servers, as well as CORE Site redundancy technology on backed up replication information & data. Without this HPE 24xi Hardware purchase and support, the Department will be subject to hardware breakdown, equipment failure and errors that will come since the current hardware (HPE DL360 G9) has reached its end-of-life. This purchase will refresh the entire Active Directory Core Hardware at ESOC-West which is why we recorlmend this purchase for FY22. The previous awarded purchase of HPE Apollo Hardware: 19AQMM2LF2673

3. A deseription of the supplies or services required to meet the Department's needs.

The requirement is to provide identity information is stored in many different data systems, such as directories, databases, or formatted dump files at the redundancy site of{iceofIRMioPSiENMAIED'ffiThesesupplies/services require that the activities of the data synchronization occur between all data centers. This will allow the Office of IRM/OPS/ENMAIED to accomplish replacing the current end-of-life equipment. ITCCB approval has been obtained for this hardware replacement to maintain the AD-Core in ESOC-West (Site-2) infrastructure and keep the entire Active Directory Forest from going down due to hardware failure.

4 Authority permitting a Fair Opportunity Exception and the supporting rationale.

This acquisition is conducted pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 4l03 and 4I06 as implemented by FAR

I 6. 505 O) 2) and substantiated by the./bllou'irtg:

X FAR 16.505(aXa) - The agency need for procuring items peculiar to one manufacturer.

This request is to purchase specific IT hardware and supporl based on name-brand specification, HPE Physical Hardware Refresh and Support Maintenance. While the item is peculiar to a specific manuf-acturer, the reseller does not need to be specified. HPE Apollo Hardware Refresh includes proprietary flrmware updates and technical support. This hardware purchase also includes firmware updates, hot fixes. and telephone/remote support for technical issues and troubleshooting from the vendor, as well coverage for as the core software, are propnetary to a single manufacturer. The HPE Apollo XL Hardware being purchased is required for the purpose ofproviding hardware redundancy, that is not offered with 1U chassis. The new

HPE Apollo servers provides us with the density needed for AD-CORE DC that offer 6U chassis, so that if one DC goes down, we can bring another blade on-line quickly, instead of 1-to- I .

A determination by the Contracting Officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

The Contracting Officer determines that the anticipated price(s) will be fair and reasonable based on market research. By signing the justification, the Contracting Officer makes a determination that the cost to the Government are expected to be fair and reasonable.

6. Any other facts supporting the justification.

As this is a brand name only justification, no one contractor's unique qualifications are used as the basis for this justification. Rather, the products identified by brand name herein have been identified as the only products that will meet the Department's requirements. HPE Hardware Refiesh and

Maintenance is already currently being used throughout the Deparlment of State, however, the current hardware at the ESOC-West location (HPE DL360 G9) has reached its end-of-life. This software is already approved by the various governance approving bodies and have been authorized for use on Department enterprise networks by the various security and information assurance organizations within the Deparlment. Maintenance for hardware is proprietary to the original manufacturer of the OS, and no other firmware have been determined to meet the mission need of ENM at this time.

Actions the agency May Take to Remove or Overcome Any Barriers to Increase Fair Opportunity before any sutrsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services is made. As is prudent, IRM/OPS/ENMi NED will continue to conduct market research to attempt to identiflz competing sources that offer satisfactory material and service. This research will be conducted as part of the rebid or re-compete of this contract