Server Virtualization RFP 2402_pdf.docx

GWINNETT COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Server Virtualization

RFP # GCPL-2402

ISSUED February 5, 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. GENERAL PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction ...………………………………………………….…...…..…….4

1. Library Background ...………………………………………...……...4

2. Jurisdiction and Funding ...…………………………………...……..5 B. Objective of this Request for Proposals……………………………………5

1. Project Description ……………………………………………...…...5

2. Scope of Work, Services, Outcomes, and Deliverables .….....….6 C. Schedule ………………………………………………….……..……...… D. Pre-Bid Conference ....………………………………………..…...…..…….9 E. Questions ……………………………………………………..…....….……..9

II. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

A. Proposal Length and Format ……………………………..….…...………..9

1. Written Proposals …………………………………..….……...…….10

2. Submission, Copies and Due Date …………………...…...……...10

3. Proposal Contents ……………………………………...……...…...10

a) Section I - Organizational Information………..….…...…...10

b) Section II – Qualifications and Experience ………....…...11

c) Section III - Project Approach and Work Schedule …

d) Section IV - Cost of Service ……………………….…..….12

e) Section V – Identification of Subcontractors …….….…..13

f) Section VI – Contract Terms …………………….….…….13

g) Section VII – Additional Information …………….….…….14 B. Proposal Duration and Contract Timing Requirements ………….…….14 C. Withdrawal and Submission of Modified Proposals …………….……...14 D. Confidentiality of Information Contained in Proposals ………….……...14 E. Disqualification or Rejection of Proposal ………………………..……….14

III. SELECTION PROCESS

A. Evaluation Committee to Review Proposals ……………………….……15 B. Evaluation Criteria …………………………………………….….………...15 C. Defects in Proposals ……………………………………………..………...16 D. Additional or Supplemental Information ………………………..………...16 E. Interviews ………………………………………………………….………...16 F. Selection of Proposals …………………………………………….……….16

IV. CONTRACT AWARD

A. Notice of Intent to Award Contract …………………………….………...16 B. Contract Award …………………………………………………………….17

V. Attachments A. Sample Agreement ………………………………………………………..18 EXHIBIT A Scope of Work ……………………………………………….……………….27 EXHIBIT A.1 Request for Proposals (attached) ………………………………………..28 EXHIBIT A.2 Consultant’s Proposal (attached) …………………….…………………..29 EXHIBIT B Payment Terms …………………………………….………………………...30 EXHIBIT C Insurance Requirements ………………………….………………………...31 EXHIBIT D Contractor Affidavit …………………………………..………………………33

Request for Proposals to Provide Server Virtualization

I. GENERAL PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A. Introduction Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL, or “the library”) is a metro Atlanta public library system. The library supports Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS and other OS platforms. With the expectation of supporting over 5,000 devices including IOT devices. GCPL desires to purchase new server virtualization, new backup, installation and associated managed internal broadband services (MIBS) at our Headquarters and Disaster Recovery (DR) locations.

1. Library Background The Gwinnett County Library system was founded in 1935. Currently 15 facilities totaling 247,000 square feet are located throughout Gwinnett County. The library website offers the convenience of remote access, enabling customers to search for materials and information, access their library record, request or renew materials without driving to the library, and download music, videos, audiobooks and ebooks 24 hours/day, 7 days per week.

Connection to the Internet from all library branches has been available since July 1, 1996. Internet access to the catalog was implemented in 1997, and remote access to information databases was implemented in July 2000. The library installed a new automated system and wireless access in 2004.

In 2010, the fifteenth branch and the first gold certified LEED library branch opened at Hamilton Mill. In 2012, the first of four Learning Labs was opened at the Five Forks branch. A state of the art integrated catalog system was introduced in early 2014 and in 2016 the Library completed a technology upgrade to replace current RFID technology.

Mission: As an organization, Gwinnett County Public Library promotes lifelong learning and growth to meet the changing needs of its board, staff and community.

Vision: Gwinnett County Public Library provides resources and services that enrich and inspire our community.

Find more at gwinnettpl.org.

2. Jurisdiction and Funding The Library is established under Chapter 62 of the Gwinnett County Code of Ordinances pursuant to the provisions of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 20-5-40 through 46 “County and Regional Libraries”. GCPL is governed by a five member Board of Trustees appointed by the four Gwinnett County Commissioners and Commission Chairman.

The Library receives approximately 87 percent of its budget from the County through a payment from the Community Service Department, with the remainder coming from State Grants (7%) and Library-generated revenue (6%). This funding supports ongoing Library operations. Library construction and maintenance are funded within the Gwinnett County annual capital outlay and operating budgets and all Library facilities are constructed, owned, and maintained by Gwinnett County.

Objectives Gwinnett County Public Libraries (GCPL) is seeking proposals from qualified offerors with professional qualifications, technical competence, and specialized experience to provide Data Center Hardware and Professional Services as outlined in the scope of work in Part II of this RFP. Awarded offeror shall provide services in accordance with the specifications, requirements and terms and conditions stated herein. Services shall include all labor, materials, tools, specialized equipment, supplies, trained personnel, insurance, travel, per diem, direct and indirect administrative costs, overhead, tolls, parking, fuel, lodging, all other cost and charges, and all things and services necessary to provide Data Center Hardware and Professional Services, in accordance with the requirements of this RFP. There shall be no add-on charges of any kind. GCPL reserves the right to make multiple awards.

Procurement Process The procurement will be on a formally advertised basis. Proposals must be responsive to all aspects of this RFP.

Addenda It is the responsibility of offerors to frequently check for any addenda, questions, and answers posted on the Request for Proposals section on the GCPL website. Failure on the part of offerors to make themselves aware of and comply with addenda requirements will not relieve them of this obligation. All posted addenda must be printed, signed by the offeror, and included in the offeror’s RFP submission.

2. Scope of Work, Services, Outcomes, and Deliverables The scope of work will include, but not be limited to, a process which includes the following:

Purpose/Project Overview GCPL is seeking proposals for a Data Center Hardware and Professional Services solution and to implement the solution proposed. This Request for Proposals (RFP) documents GCPL’s objectives and expectations and their solution, support, and pricing requirements in accordance with the scope of work of this RFP.

The Gwinnett County Public Library system serves the entirety of Gwinnett County, the second-most populous county in Georgia. The breakdown of GCPL sites is as follows:

· 15 Public Libraries

· 1 Administration Building

· 2 Data Centers (Primary and DR)

As our data centers are established with existing connectivity, we are looking for services within the existing environments with additional professional services. This RFP should not include cost hosting or cloud services as it is not within the scope of work.

Awarded offeror shall provide equipment and services in accordance with the scope of work, requirements and terms and conditions stated herein. Services shall include all labor, materials, tools, specialized equipment, supplies, trained personnel, insurance, travel, per diem, direct and indirect administrative costs, overhead, tolls, parking, fuel, lodging, all other cost and charges, and all things and services necessary and in accordance with the requirements of this RFP. There shall be no add-on charges of any kind.

GCPL, at its discretion, determines the criteria and process whereby proposals are evaluated and awarded. No damages shall be recoverable by any challenger as a result of these determinations or decisions by GCPL.

GCPL reserves the right to add or remove GCPL facilities as needed.

GCPL reserves the right to make multiple awards and will be responsible for administration of this contract.

Project Scope of Work The scope of this RFP is to encompass a Data Center Hardware and Professional Services environment that includes:

1. GCPL access, as needed, to the current data center sites (This would be used for hardware installation services and professional services as outlined).

2. Hardware procurement for the following:

a. Primary data center

i. Two servers: (dual CPU 16C/32T 3.0GHz min, 384GB RAM, 240GB SSD (RAID 1) primary boot

ii. Storage: Minimum 20TB SSD of effective, usable enterprise storage solution (Dual controller, 10Gbps iSCSI connectivity). RAID 6 or equivalent protection

iii. Dedicated Veeam server:

1. One server: (dual CPU 16C/32T 3.0GHz min, 384GB RAM, , 240GB SSD (RAID 1) primary boot, 60TB HDD (RAID 6)

b. DR data center

1. One server: (dual CPU 16C/32T 3.0GHz min, 384GB RAM, 240GB SSD (RAID 1) primary boot, 20TB SSD (RAID 6) 40 TB HDD (RAID 6)

c. Hardware support should be minimum 5yr, NBD, onsite service

1. One-time professional services to upgrade VMware environment from vCenter/ESXi 6.5 to 8. Services should include: addition and removal of servers to the environment, migration of virtual machines (VMs) and other data from existing storage to proposed storage, and migration of existing VMs to proposed hosts. Please note that GCPL states the following restrictions:

a.

a. Offeror must use existing GCPL VMware Essentials licensing

b. Offeror must maintain uptime of the virtual environment during library operational hours.

Requested services must be completed after hours within an approved maintenance window. For reference those library operational hours are:

Daily 8AM – 10PM EST

1. One-time professional services to upgrade current Veeam 11 environment to Veeam 12.1 or latest Veeam version upon award. Additional considerations:

a. Offeror should maintain all existing backups and configuration data

b. Offeror’s upgrade should provide best practice configuration for backups (immutability of backups, encryption of configuration, encryption of data at rest and in flight)

c. Solution should account for virtualization of Veeam components:

i. Veeam Backup and Replication VM (Windows)

ii. Veeam immutable repository VM (Linux based)

iii. Migration services to new hardware as scoped

1. Ongoing services for maintenance, upgrading, monitoring, and support of the VMware environment. Offeror’s services should include:

a. Patching and upgrading of servers

b. Patching and upgrading of vCenter and ESXi

c. Patching and upgrade of storage solution

d. Services should be performed in approved maintenance windows while maintaining uptime of VMs

Ongoing services for maintenance, upgrading, monitoring, and support of the Veeam environment. Offeror’s services should include:

a. Patching and upgrading of Veeam Backup and Replication server

b. Patching and upgrading of Veeam repositories

1. The requisite tools and support required for GCPL IT staff to configure and monitor the environment. GCPL requires a VMware and Veeam solution set. The Offeror should not provide a solution that deviates from these technologies.

1. Pricing for services should be all inclusive for the environment as described within this request. GCPL understands future additions to the VMware and Veeam environments would constitute services or additions outside of this request.

This RFP makes no attempt to dictate what the offeror infrastructure configuration should be to meet GCPL requirements outside of the previously provided requirements. The expectation is that the bidding offerors will propose adequate solutions and options to GCPL, and the chosen offeror will include an assessment phase in their project plan to determine suitable configurations and services.

Minimum Requirements This section documents GCPL’s minimum requirements and expectations for a Data Center Hardware and Professional Services solution.

Please consider and provide detailed responses to all questions, requirements, and statements.

C. Schedule The following Schedule applies to this RFP but is subject to change. Except as provided below, changes will be made only by written amendment to this RFP.

· On or about February 5, 2024 - Release of Request for Proposals

· On or about February 14, 2024 -Proposers’ written questions due by 3:00 p.m. ET

· On February 15, 2024 – Pre bid conference 11:00 AM ET

· On or about February 16, 2024 - Library’s written responses to questions published

· On or about February 23, 2024 - Proposals due by 3:00 p.m. ET

· On or about February 26 thru March 1, 2024 - Proposals evaluated by Library’s Evaluation Committee

· On or about March 4 to 6 - Interviews with finalist(s) conducted

· On or about March 8, 2024 - Notice of Intent to Award issued

· On or about March 11 to March 14, 2024 - Negotiations and contract creation with finalist conducted

· April 15, 2024 - Contract presented to Library Board of Trustees for approval The Library reserves the right to revise these dates at its sole discretion based on unforeseen events or organizational requirements. Any revisions made will be published using the same sources and media as this RFP.

D. Pre-Bid Conference On or about 11:00 AM February 15,2024, Gwinnett County Public Library will hold a Pre-bid Conference. A link to join the meeting via phone or virtually will be made available on the RFP website: www.gwinnettpl.org/rfp E. Questions Proposers may submit written questions regarding this RFP via email, which the Library will respond to in writing via email, based on the dates set forth in the Schedule (above). The Library’s written email responses will be provided to all proposers who have submitted their email contact information to the Library.

Questions regarding this RFP should be sent via email directly to the Library’s contact person: Debbie Hahnke Staff Accountant dhahnke@gwinnettpl.org Email should include reference RFP # GCPL-2402 Server Virtualization All questions and responses must be in writing; no verbal communications between a proposer and Library staff regarding the substance of a pending RFP are permitted, and any verbal representations provided by Library staff are not binding on the Library.

If a proposer discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this RFP, the proposer shall immediately notify the Library’s contact person of such perceived error. Modifications to this RFP may be made by addenda, which then become part of this RFP.

II. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

A. Proposal Length and Format The intent of this RFP is to encourage prospective contractors to submit proposals which clearly communicate their understanding of the Library’s project requirements and the services it seeks. Proposals submitted in response to this RFP must follow the format outlined below.

1. Written Proposals Proposals must be made in writing and signed by the proposer or its authorized representative. Proposals shall be limited in length to no more than 25 single-sided pages, excluding samples, photographs or graphic materials. Tabs with graphics or folded out pages will be counted toward the 25-page limit.

2. Submission, Copies and Due Date Proposers must submit their proposal either on a flash drive along with three (3) paper copies of their proposal in a sealed envelope marked “PROPOSAL:SERVER VIRTUALIZATION” or electronically to:

Gwinnett County Public Library Attn: Debbie Hahnke 1001 Lawrenceville Highway Lawrenceville, GA 30046 If submitting electronically, please email to: dhahnke@gwinnettpl.org Proposals must be received by 3:00 pm ET on February 23, 2024.

Late Proposals will not be accepted or considered. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal arrives at the Gwinnett County Public Library prior to the date and time indicated.

3. Proposal Contents For ease of review and to facilitate evaluation, the written proposals for this project should be organized and presented in the following order.

Section I - Organizational Information:

In this section, please provide background information regarding you or your organization, including:

Section II – Qualifications and Experience:

Please explain your and your staff’s qualifications and experience in this section, including:

Section III - Project Approach and Work Schedule:

In this section, please explain your understanding of the RFP’s requirements and objectives regarding the project, and how you will satisfy them, including the following:

Section IV - Cost of Service:

In this section, please disclose all expense types, rates, and charges to be assessed to the Library for the required services. All proposals must identify the following:

A fixed price cost for the project will be developed and agreed to during the negotiation and contract development phase of the solicitation.

Section V – Identification of Subcontractors:

Identify all subcontractors you intend to use for the proposed scope of work for the project. For each subcontractor listed, please indicate: (1) what products and/or services are to be supplied by that subcontractor; (2) what percentage of the overall scope of work that subcontractor will perform; and (3) qualifications of each subcontractor to perform the identified scope of work. All rates and costs associated with proposed subcontractors should be included in Section IV.

Section VI – Contract Terms:

Include a statement in the proposal acknowledging your willingness to accept all terms and provisions contained in the Sample Agreement (see Attachment A) or identify specific exceptions to the Sample Agreement. Any proposer taking exception to any provision in the Sample Agreement must also provide alternative language for those provisions. Please note that any exceptions or changes requested to the provisions of the Sample Agreement may constitute sufficient grounds to reject the proposal.

Failure to object to the provisions in the Sample Agreement in the proposal will be construed as acceptance of all terms and conditions contained therein.

Section VII – Additional Information:

Include any additional information you believe is pertinent to consideration of your proposal.

B. Proposal Duration and Contract Timing Requirements All proposals will remain in effect and shall be legally binding for at least one hundred and twenty (120) days after the proposal submission due date.

Unless otherwise authorized by the Library, the selected contractor will be expected to agree to a mutually acceptable contract with the Library for the services requested within fifteen (15) days of the Library’s issuance of the notice of intent to award. If agreement on contract terms and conditions acceptable to the Library cannot be achieved within that time frame, or if it appears that an agreement will not be possible after reasonable negotiations have been conducted (as determined at the sole discretion of the Library), then the Library reserves the right to retract the notice of intent to award and proceed with awards to other consultants, or to withdraw this RFP.

C. Withdrawal and Submission of Modified Proposals A proposer may withdraw a proposal at any time prior to the submission deadline by submitting a written notification of withdrawal signed by the proposer or its authorized agent. Another proposal may be submitted prior to the deadline. A proposal may not be changed after the designated deadline for submission of proposals.

D. Confidentiality of Information Contained in Proposals All proposals are subject to the provisions of The Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 15-18-70 et. seq. Georgia procurement law, however, provides that all proposals shall be treated as confidential documents until the selection and negotiation process has been completed. Once the Library has issued its notice of intent to award and the contract negotiations have been completed, all submitted proposals shall be deemed public records and become subject to public disclosure.

E. Disqualification or Rejection of Proposal The Library may, at its sole discretion, disqualify or reject a proposal if it fails to furnish all information requested in this RFP, fails to follow the format requested in this RFP, or contains false, incomplete, misleading or unresponsive statements.

III. SELECTION PROCESS

A. Evaluation Committee to Review Proposals The Library shall form an Evaluation Committee to review the content of all proposals submitted in response to this RFP. The Evaluation Committee may be composed of Library employees or officers, Board members, or persons outside of the Library. The Evaluation Committee shall review and evaluate all timely proposals based on the terms of this RFP, and shall make a recommendation for selection of a contractor to the Library Board. The Library Board is ultimately responsible for approving any contract to be awarded under this RFP, in its sole discretion.

Those Library employees who have a relationship with a person or business entity submitting a proposal shall not participate in the review or selection process. Any person or business entity submitting a proposal who has such a relationship with a Library employee who may be involved in the selection process shall advise the Library of the name of its employee in the proposal.

The Evaluation Committee may reject any or all proposals, or portions thereof, if it determines that it is in the Library’s best interests to do so.

B. Evaluation Criteria Proposals may be evaluated using the following criteria (there is no value or ranking implied in the order of this list):

1. Demonstrated ability to perform the services described in the RFP;

2. Experience, qualifications, and expertise;

3. Quality and timeliness of work as verified by examples or references;

4. Fees and costs relative to the scope of services;

5. A demonstrated history of providing similar services to comparable entities;

6. Willingness to accept the Library’s contract terms in the Sample Agreement (Attachment A);

7. The business location(s) of the proposer; and

8. Any other factors the Evaluation Committee deems relevant. (When such criteria are used for evaluation purposes, the basis for scoring will be clearly documented and will become part of the public record.).

C. Defects in Proposals An error in a proposal may cause the Evaluation Committee to reject that proposal; the Evaluation Committee may, however, in its sole discretion, retain the proposal and make certain corrections if the proposer’s intent is clearly established based on review of the complete proposal submitted. The Evaluation Committee may also correct obvious clerical errors.

D. Additional or Supplemental Information The Evaluation Committee may, during the evaluation process, request any proposer to provide additional information which the Evaluation Committee deems necessary to evaluate the proposer’s ability to perform the required services. Such information shall be required to be provided in writing, and shall become part of the proposal on record.

E. Interviews After initial screening, the Evaluation Committee may select those proposers deemed most qualified for this project for further evaluation. Interviews of those selected proposers may be conducted as part of the final selection process. Interviews may or may not have their own separate scoring during the evaluation process.

F. Selection of Proposals The Library reserves the right to select the proposal(s) which in its sole judgment best meets its needs, and to award a contract to one or multiple qualified submittals. The lowest proposed cost is not the sole criterion for recommending contract award.

The Library also makes no guarantee of any or equal amounts of work for the project which is the subject of this RFP. Further, the Library is not responsible for any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of a proposal or any work performed prior to the execution of a contract.

IV. CONTRACT AWARD

A. Notice of Intent to Award Contract Upon selecting a proposal, the Library will enter into contract negotiations with the chosen contractor. If such negotiations are unsuccessful, the Library will proceed to negotiate with the proposer who scored next highest in rank.

Upon successful completion of contract negotiations, all proposers who have submitted proposals in response to this RFP will be provided with notice as to the successful contractor(s).

B. Contract Award The Evaluation Committee will make a recommendation on awarding a contract to the Library Board of Trustees. No contract will be in effect until approved by the Board.

This RFP does not commit the Library to award a contract. The Library has absolute discretion in awarding a contract and reserves the right to waive informalities and irregularities in this RFP and/or the proposals received. The Library reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or to modify or cancel this RFP in part or its entirety.

Attachments: Attachment A: Sample Agreement

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

This Agreement dated as of _____________ (the “Effective Date”) is made by and between the Gwinnett County Public Library (hereinafter referred to as “Library”), and [name of Consultant], a [identify type of entity] authorized to conduct business in the State of Georgia (hereinafter referred to as “Consultant”), pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth below.

RECITALS

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein, the parties agree as follows:

AGREEMENT

FOR LIBRARY:

Charles Pace Executive Director Gwinnett County Public Library 1001 Lawrenceville Highway Lawrenceville, GA 30046

FOR CONSULTANT:

[Insert] When so addressed, notices shall be deemed given upon deposit in the U.S. Mail, or express mail service, postage prepaid. In all other instances, notices shall be deemed given at the time of actual delivery. Any changes to the names and addresses for notice purposes shall be provided in writing.