DCPDS DRAFT Atch 3 - System Administration Duties.doc

Attachment 3 Systems Administrator Duties

General. Systems Administration duties consist of maintaining the daily operations, systems performance, user access, user information, and security of the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System (DCPDS). This includes loading backup and other tapes, assisting in system audits, system tuning, management of the operating system for optimum computing performance, and other daily operational tasks. Systems administration also includes reacting to system outages or service degradations. Systems administration will address service degradation issues related to the hardware, operating system, networks, and any other system software tool in accordance with the performance metrics.

Activities. Systems administration includes the following activities:

· Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and Disaster Recovery - support for the Component’s restoration activities for Regional Service Center (RSC) servers at the time of disaster. Recovery shall begin within 24 hours and be completed within seven calendar days.

· Tape Library Management - storage and management of tapes, disks and other magnetic media at the Component regions, the contractor locations, and in third-party, offsite storage facilities.

· Electronic Data Interchange with other Government agencies (i.e., DFAS) - receiving data and loading it into the system, and exporting data and sending it out to other Government agencies.

· Production Control - scheduling and monitoring of all transactions and ensuring the successful completion of those transactions.

· Change Control - documenting, scheduling, testing, and implementing all changes to the production environment, including hardware, software, and network modifications. The contractor will plan for roll back procedures for major modifications.

· Capacity Planning - monthly report prepared by the Contractor and submitted to CPMS documenting any situation where increases in processing or communication capabilities are required for continued successful operation of the DCPDS.

· Automated and Manual Performance Monitoring - collection and reporting of required systems performance metrics.

· Systems Management - all activities to keep the system operating at peak performance with minimal downtime including outage and downtime response.

· Remote Support Personnel - dispatch and tracking of warranty/maintenance provider, on-site systems administrator, etc.

· Change Proposals - technical evaluation of systems hardware/software proposals.

Contractor personnel, co-located with select Component RSC servers, will provide active, hands-on support of the servers (as well as diagnostic support) and interaction and communications with the Component that owns the facility. As required, Contractor personnel will comply with all Component safety and security requirements. At times, the Component management at the facility will provide guidance on systems administration activities. Two examples of where Component guidance may occur are in scheduling system downtime for maintenance and prioritizing data loads for user requests. When a system administrator has a question about such assignments they should be raised to their Contractor supervision chain; and up to the DCPDS Contract Officer Technical Representative (COTR) if they cannot be resolved at the supervisor level.

Supervision: Supervision and management control of Contractor personnel remains with the Contractor. The Contractor shall work with each Component to establish mutually acceptable work schedules, leave schedules, and procedures for providing coverage during absences. Components are responsible for reporting conduct, attendance, and performance problems to the COTR or alternate COTR. CPMS is responsible for overall Contractor management and conflict resolution.

Duties:

1. Prior to being assigned, the systems administrator (SA) will learn DCPDS roles and responsibilities. This includes building a knowledge base of program and procedures, security policy, and hardware and software for the DCPDS. The Contractor’s DCPDS Operations Manager will certify all SAs before they are allowed to report for duty.

2. The SA shall provide DCPDS-related network support for all Component RSC customers as follows:

a. Provide on-line, remote terminal Component user support. This support shall consist of solving DCPDS server problems associated with workstation malfunctions and following written procedures.

b. Advise users on structuring requests for support and on ad hoc inquiry preparation for use with the Component databases and those with user-oriented language.

c. Identify real and potential technical problems with network connections for DCPDS interface with DISA/DISN, and advise users and/or appropriate technical personnel on these issues.

d. Perform research, analysis, and any necessary recovery actions on customer reported problems to ascertain validity using automated tools, associated journals, and verification logs as well as reviewing quality of input/output and other appropriate activities.

e. Maintain, update, and file various publications and DCPDS manuals.

f. Communicate with Components when a network problem occurs to ensure correction and re-entry of erroneous data and initiate reports of software/hardware problems to the proper support organization. Perform normal system support duties on the Component RSC and CSU servers to include building request IDs and back-ups.

g. Assist DCPDS customers, both within and outside DoD, by querying the DCPDS CMIS database to furnish appropriate information if granted access by their serviced Component or Agency.

h. Ensure processing requests submitted by Components for action are processed and proper security measures are observed. When data is received, the SA shall comply with all established security procedures to ensure proper handling, distribution, and storage.

i. Maintain on-line synchronization of information flow between Component RSCs telecommunication interface system, DISA/DISN, and the CMIS database. The SA shall enter system commands to direct information flow as required. The SA shall assist in the correction of communication problems by following instructions from DISA/DISN personnel or other authorized, designated personnel.

j. Direct and control system start-up, restart/recovery procedures, and take necessary actions when assigned systems fail to respond to normal or standardized procedures.

k. Review operating schedules, system problems, and processing backlogs and adjust resource allocations to balance processing requirements to meet the need of precedent processing.

l. Set up test scripts and system programs, activate on-line utilities, and diagnose routines to help analyze equipment failure and identify failures.

m. Monitor information and data flow between all DCPDS servers connected to the DISA/DISN.

n. Select, execute, and control programs and respond to system messages. The SA shall detect problems, report it to the help desk, isolate and identify the source and nature of the condition, and implement action to resolve and avoid such problems. The SA shall resolve problems independently, or request assistance and coordinate the solution with leads, supervisor, appropriate managers, specialists, and/or Contractor technicians.

o. Prepare and maintain complete and accurate records, reports, and system documentation on various jobs and equipment status, problems, and errors. The SA shall furnish details and action taken to resolve problems/errors.

p. Report unexpected delays in production, high volume workloads, and problem situations and provide accurate details and recommendations for resolving problems.

4. The SA shall provide systems administration and technical support for all DCPDS systems to include RSC, CSU, and Reduced Sign-On (RSO) servers and provide technical assistance to the Components for these systems. Such assistance will normally be worked in conjunction with any applicable Component IT staff. The SA shall provide technical support for hardware, software, and telecommunications systems or telecommunications infrastructure, and serve as a technical authority in these areas. In the performance of these duties, the SA shall:

a. Design and develop projects within assigned areas. The SA shall serve as an expert communications engineer in the development/maintenance projects and perform problem analysis for the DCPDS and the DISA/DISN interface.

b. Use a variety of computer languages, scripts, tools, reusable code, and both original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and 3rd party utilities, and products to complete assigned tasks. The SA shall develop and/or maintain operating manuals/procedures and life cycle documentation, in accordance with contract deliverables.

c. Act as the expert technical authority in assigned areas and in system problem diagnosis. The SA shall provide technical expertise in the analysis of problems related to hardware, software or telecommunications, and develop solutions to resolve problems and prevent future occurrences. When necessary, the SA shall design and develop diagnostic procedures to facilitate locating and resolving errors.

d. Develop and maintain a design/maintenance strategy (modularity, subsystem, etc.) and configuration management plan for the DCPDS that easily adjusts to changes in direction, workload, and technology. The SA shall develop coordination controls to ensure the integrity of system design at each phase of implementation.

e. Develop and test a time/phase execution plan to install Contractor-operating software.

f. Install DCPDS software patches and releases and synchronize operating system software upgrades.

5. The SA shall provide support in the area of CMIS, DCPDS network, system software, and infrastructure engineering. In this area, the SA shall:

a. Perform feasibility studies concerning proposed engineering changes, provide alternative solutions to current or newly requested processing requirements, and provide the benefits derived, resources required, and course of action to implement the best alternative solution.

b. Provide technical input to economic analysis, technical specifications, and benchmarks.

c. Participate as a member of Process Action Teams to define requirements and assist in planning the design, development, and implementation of solutions.

d. Analyze specifications and requirements to ensure completeness as well as functional and technical feasibility. The SA shall provide technical support for the solution in terms of required hardware, software, telecommunications architecture, and database (if applicable) design that will satisfy the immediate requirement, facilitate subsequent modification, and conserve resources.

e. Analyze trends and/or use report data to provide authoritative technical recommendations.

f. Provide technical expertise for DCPDS baseline servers and related office automation hardware and software. These services include installation of requested hardware components and software packages, completion of various functional tests, connection to WAN/LAN, distribution of network based software, and development and distribution of end user documentation.

6. The SA shall provide UNIX/LINUX system administration services including installation, maintenance, configuration, and support for all designated baseline UNIX/LINUX operating systems. The SA shall enforce DoD system and security policies, establish and monitor user accounts, install system upgrades, register printers, manage system resources, optimize system efficiencies, and ensure only authorized personnel access data.

7. The SA shall provide Windows system administration services including installation, maintenance, configuration, and support for all designated DCPDS baseline Windows operating systems. The SA shall enforce DoD established system and security policies, establish and monitor user accounts, install system upgrades, register printers, manage system resources, optimize system efficiencies, and ensure data is only accessed by authorized personnel.

8. The SA shall perform scheduled backups on the operational system and its audit logs, recover data on the operational system, provide CPU and disk usage reports to the Component, run security checklist processes on the servers, and inform the Component on all system downtime planned for maintenance, system patches, upgrades, or new releases.

9. Questions arising on intent or interpretation of this document are to be referred to the DCPDS COTR for resolution.

As of: 16 Sep 11