RFQ_-_Attachment_5_-_A15_BN_-_FAR_13_-_Disaster_Recovery_IBM_-_Redacted_0001.pdf

BRAND NAME JUSTIFICATION

SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS

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

SOL # 140D0424Q0033

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Brand Name Justification.”

Requiring Activity: Department of the Interior (DOI) Interior Business Center (IBC) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Enterprise Services Division (ESD) Hosting Services Branch (HSB)

Contracting Activity: Department of the Interior

Interior Business Center Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD)

Project Identification: Brand Name Justification for International Business Machines (IBM) mainframe

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

This is a Brand Name Justification to purchase continued disaster recovery services which include a portion of brand name International Business Machines (IBM) mainframes to accommodate a catastrophic event of such a magnitude that it requires the movement and/or relocation of the data center services and equipment to another site, provides for the relocation of key staff, and permits the OCIO the ability to verify the adequacy of the procedures and services by yearly testing of critical applications.

This is a follow-on requirement to purchase order 140D042P0013, Disaster Recovery as a Service, which expires November 14, 2024.

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

In the event of a major disaster, the OCIO and IBC maintains contingency plans which management uses to ensure that losses are minimized to an acceptable level and business activities are resumed within a specific service level agreement (SLA). Disaster recovery is a key component to the business recovery plan.

The requirement is to provide information technology services as identified in the Statement of Work (SOW) and it must include the following information technology resources:

1. Provide two (2) sites with data centers geographically separated. One (1) primary site with all the specified infrastructure listed in the SOW must be available and ready for DOI use within 24 hours of disaster declaration.

2. Each site must provide a brand name IBM mainframe exactly as specified in the SOW (such as same model, Central Processing Unit (CPU), memory, etc.) for information for information technology disaster recovery testing, annual exercises, and disaster declaration.

3. The primary host site facility must operate various network devices and network circuits that connect various agencies and locations. The network devices and the circuits will be online, utilized, and monitored for operational use. The Contractor’s primary site must be able to immediately forward all the network traffic to the 2nd site in case the primary site is not available.

4. The Contractor’s primary site must have network circuits with DOI, DOI clients, and DOI vendors as soon as the Task Order is awarded. Network connectivity is the Government responsibility, but DOI are expecting a solution to this problem from the Contractor.

5. The primary hot site facility will be utilized for the mainframe backup operation. The backup is performed at the DOI production site and then replicated via a dedicated circuit to the Contractor site into a Disk Library for Mainframe (DLM) by EMC. The DLM is owned and managed by DOI, but it must be located at the Contractor’s site and must be connected to the Contractor’s mainframe upon DOI request. The replication is a continuous 24 x 7 operational function.

6. The Contractor must provide secure racks to host and operate, network devices, and servers to keep up with the DOI / OCIO business demands.

This requirement is for the backup and testing of a brand name IBM Mainframe for one (1) base year and four (4) option years. The Independent Government Estimated (IGE) for the entire Disaster Recovery as a Service requirement, base and all option periods is This Brand Name Justification covers the IBM Mainframe portion of the requirement, which is estimated at for the base and all option periods as detailed below.

4. An identification of the statutory authority permitting sole source acquisition.

This is an acquisition conducted under the authority of the Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items. The statutory authority permitting sole source acquisition is 41 U.S.C 1901 as implemented by FAR 13.501(a)(1)(ii).

5. A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

The Disaster recovery strategy is based on recovering the production system to an IBM mainframe system during a disaster. The recovery environment would include IBM mainframe hardware, an IBM z/OS operating system, which must be compatible with the software application version from Software AG's Adaptable Database System (ADABAS) and Natural suite of products, which is running on an IBM mainframe z15 platform.

The mainframe currently hosts major systems such as the Federal Personnel and Payroll System (FPPS). DOI use FPPS to pay all DOI employees and external agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Social Security Administration and the U.S.

Supreme Court. Internal DOI customers include all DOI agencies.

FPPS was designed in house to run using Software AG's ADABAS and Natural suite of products running on an IBM mainframe z/OS. These products are controlled with IBM job control language and various other mainframe products to run as a system on the z/OS operation system.

The organization will not be able to recover during a disaster if the disaster recovery system is not compatible with the current production system and the z/OS operation system is only available on an IBM mainframe. Compatibility is required in order to restore and recover the mainframe and FPPS which is using Software AG's ADABAS and Natural suite of products using the recovery is performed from the backup system which must be hosted at the disaster recovery site. Without compatibility OCIO and IBC would not be able to meet its agreements and obligations with other agencies in terms of keeping a disaster recovery for their systems.

If DOI fails to maintain the disaster recovery contract for IBC then significant adverse consequences can or will occur such as – DOI will not have a remote place to perform and store daily backup which is significant risk, OCIO and IBC will not be able to meet its agreements and obligations with other agencies in terms of keeping a disaster recovery for their systems, OCIO and IBC will be left at risk of being exposed to a disaster and no disaster recovery contract to resume it is business, it will put agencies at immediate risk of not being able to carry on their duties towards other agencies and the public (example, IBC mainframes is hosting FPPS system no payroll checks will be produced, will incur audit findings and can be severe which can result on not authorizing continuity of running the major application, OCIO and IBC will be in violation of many federal authorities, requirements, and guidance).

6. A 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.

IBM products are used by the DOI OCIO to provide hosting services to its DOI customers. The IBC HRD’s Payroll application, FPPS, can only run on an IBM mainframe due to technological constraints that could only be removed by re-writing the application to run on a different Operating System (OS). A notice will be published in accordance with FAR Subpart 5.2 and

13.501 and will be posted on the Government Point of Entry: SAM.gov.

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

The Contracting Officer will determine that the anticipated price(s) will be fair and reasonable based on a comparison with the Independent Government Estimate (IGE) for this requirement and competitive quotes.

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

Market research indicates that only IBM mainframes can fulfill the Government’s need by providing a compatible like for like backup mainframe required for OCIO’s disaster recovery needs. On October 18, 2023, AQD submitted a Request for Information (RFI) to the System for Award Management to gauge industry interest in quoting with the opportunity to provide capability statements and address Statement of Work questions. RFI responses confirmed there are multiple vendors capable of providing Disaster Recovery Services with the Brand Name IBM mainframes.

9. Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition, such as:

There are no other facts to add to support the justification.

10. A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

The following list of vendors expressed interest in the acquisition.