NF-FM7030-22-03026 BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION FINAL_Redacted.pdf

NF-FM7030-22-03026 Brand Name Justification

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

FOR AN ACTION EXCEEDING THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

USING SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

(AUTHORITY: FAR 13.501(a), 41 U.S.C. 1901)

NF-FM7030-22-03026

1. Agency and contracting activity. Department of Commerce, NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Western Acquisition Division and Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC).

2. Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

This is a brand name justification for purchase of a centralized data storage solution to replace aging and failing hardware at the NEFSC. A firm-fixed price contract for a TrueNAS system, manufactured by iXSystems, is anticipated.The brand name portion of this action is for the server and related equipment, to be delivered and installed in early Fiscal Year 2023. Extended warranty and related maintenance services will be included but have no restrictions; TrueNAS is open source so third-party service is permitted.

3. Description of supplies or services required to meet the agency’s needs (including the total estimated value).

This justification covers the equipment portion of the requirement, , to be delivered within forty-five days of award. The equipment replaces a large portion of failing data storage and server system at the NEFSC, and includes:

4U TrueNAS with Dual Controllers, 4 NVMe slots and 24 x 3.5" Drive Bays - 1300W Redundant Power Supply - 100-240V 50/60Hz input power (auto-switching)

Sub Qty 1: Software TrueNAS Enterprise Support: TrueNAS Enterprise is designed for business-critical data, 24×365 operation, and full Enterprise-grade support. Built on OpenZFS data protection and management, TrueNAS Enterprise provides block, file, and object storage with High Availability (HA) options. enclosure management, and integrations with partners like VMware.

Security Compliance Standard Drives with DMR 1 Standard drives and includes Defective Media Retention of persistent media in the event of faults or failures.

DMR Support with system support or warranty up to 5 years.

Controller Pack - M50C 4S 256G: M50 Controller: Up to 4x Expansion Shelves 256GB RAM, 16GB NVDIMM Write Cache, 40 vCPU

Network A: Integrated 10GbE x2 Dual 10GbE Base-T ports (100 Meters Max on CAT6A) - Integrated.

Network B: 10GbE-SR Cable x4 Quad 10GbE ports with Short Reach Optics - LC via QSFP+ with a 3m breakout cable.

Expansion Shelf ES60: TrueNAS 4U Rackmount Expansion Shelf - 60 Hot-Swap SAS 3.5" Hard Drive Bays - 2 x Expander supports SAS - 1200W Redundant Power Supply - 100-240V 50/60Hz input power (auto-switching)

4. Statutory authority permitting the sole source (including brand name) acquisition.

41 U.S.C. 1901, using SAP up to $7.5M as authorized by FAR 13.500(a) and implemented by FAR 13.501(a).

5. Demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited. The contracting officer has determined the following circumstances justify the use of a brand name supported below:

Compatibility to existing systems or equipment – NEFSC currently utilizes TrueNAS storage, and the new equipment must be compatible with existing servers and storage devices as this is partial replacement within existing infrastructure. Other brands, such as Dell, are closed source and would not be compatible with the TrueNAS system. Because this is replacing only the failing equipment, and not a full replacement, compatibility is essential.

6. Description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by FAR Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under FAR 5.202 applies.

This will be competed on SAM.gov as a small-business set aside. iXSystems, the manufacturer of TrueNAS, is a small business with authorized resellers. A combined synopsis/solicitation will be posted.

7. Determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

Adequate price competition is anticipated, and a price analysis will be conducted in accordance with FAR 13.106-2.

8. Description of the market research conducted (see Part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

A sources sought notice was posted on SAM.gov on July 21, 2022, with responses due July 27. Two small businesses responded with capability, so a small business set aside with brand name requirement will be used.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of a sole source (including brand name), such as:

N/A

10. List of the sources that expressed a written interest in the acquisition.

iXSystems and Axelliant, both small businesses, responded to the sources sought notice with sufficient capability to warrant a small business set-aside. RV Global Solutions and Spy Ego Media also responded, but did were focused on services and provided no information about the TrueNAS system, and did not respond to follow-up questions.

11. A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required.

The Government will continue to conduct market research to gauge the marketplace capabilities for future requirements. In the event of a complete system overhaul, all sources may be considered.

12. Technical/Requirements Representative Certification (Required)

I certify that this requirement constitutes the Government’s minimum needs and the supporting data provided herein is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

13. Office of General Counsel Concurrence

Concur

14. Contracting Officer’s Certification and Approval I certify this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Approve

Sarah Waugh Date Contracting Officer