SPECIAL NOTICE
D -- CENSUS BUREAU VIRTUAL DESKTOP INFRASTRUCTURE
- Notice Date
- 6/7/2012
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541512
— Computer Systems Design Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, U. S. Census Bureau, Suitland, Acquisition Division, Room 3J438, Washington, District of Columbia, 20233
- ZIP Code
- 20233
- Solicitation Number
- YA1323-12-RF-0607
- Archive Date
- 7/6/2012
- Point of Contact
- Kevin Moore,
- E-Mail Address
-
kevin.f.moore@census.gov
(kevin.f.moore@census.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Purpose This Request for Information (RFI) will provide the Census Bureau with information that will be used in developing an approach to transition from its current PC-based desktop IT infrastructure to a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). The information should address the total integration package for installing hardware and software, bringing up the VDI environment, deploying VDI to the users, setting up any support systems, and the training of Census personnel. The existing data center and server infrastructure should be scaled to support the VDI needs. Background The Census Bureau is currently running a PC-based desktop infrastructure to support approximately 7000 employees at their headquarters in Suitland, MD. These desktop computers are used for typical office automation functions creating and modifying documents and communicating by email. A portion of the computers are also used to develop and run a variety of specialized statistical analysis tools and systems that are used to conduct surveys and tabulate the results. The Bureau also provides a common desktop environment through an existing Citrix based VDI solution to workers outside the Suitland headquarters. The Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop technology is utilized to provide this capability. Approximately 2,000 desktops are provided to field staff located at 10 Regional Offices. Another 8,000 desktops are provided to mobile field representatives and teleworker staff. These remote workers require additional security features such as multi-factor identification and secure network connections over the Internet that utilize RSA keys. The Bureau is investigating the options available for VDI desktop technologies as the current desktop machines go through the technology refresh cycle and the operating system (OS) is upgraded from Windows XP to Windows 7. The Bureau is interested in improving several aspects of the existing desktop solution: • Reduce operating costs • Increase reliability • Improve security of data • Improve remote access for disaster recovery The current desktop systems are running the Windows XP OS. The following is a list of the core applications running on all the systems: • Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro • Adobe Flash • Adobe Reader X • iNotes • Internet Explorer • McAfee Endpoint Encryption Client • McAfee Port Control Client • Microsoft Access 2010 • Microsoft Excel 2010 • Microsoft Power Point 2010 • Microsoft Publisher 2010 • Microsoft Word 2010 • Novell Application Launcher • QuickTime Player • RealPlayer • Remedy • Sametime • Snagit 10 • WebTA • WinZip 14.5 The typical hardware configuration of the desktop system is a DELL tower with: • 24 inch display using a Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector in the standard three-row 15 pin DE-15 configuration. • ANSI (ISO 9995-3) keyboard • Microsoft IntelliMouse (IMPS/2) compatible pointing device • Speakers for playing audio • Hard wired Gigabit Ethernet local area network (LAN) connection running an IP based network protocol. The existing data center infrastructure is based on the following hardware: • Servers are IBM HS22V blades running the VMware vSphere v4.1 virtualization software • Storage is an IBM SVC SAN utilizing an isolated fiber channel network • Network is based on Cisco and Citrix Netscaler equipment • Backup is provided by an existing data center system • Disaster recovery is provided by the existing data center plan Candidate Requirements The Bureau is interested in learning more about a VDI solution that will support the 7000 users located at Census Headquarters in Suitland Maryland with the core set of desktop applications listed above. The solution should initially utilize the currently deployed PC-based desktop hardware and network connectivity to minimize the startup costs, and then provide a path to a thin client or minimized computing device that could replace the PC-based hardware and minimize technology refresh costs. The solution should utilize the existing data center infrastructure by scaling the blade servers, storage, and network as needed to support the VDI computing needs and minimizing the startup costs. The solution should utilize a policy-based approach for user access management. This approach includes group affiliations managed through a roles and permissions based structure implemented through Active Directory. The solution should be supportable by a team of centrally located Census system administrative staff. This includes remote administration and management of the servers and the desktops. This team will need to be trained in the technology and any operational processes that need to be initiated in support of the VDI environment. Both the servers in the data center and the user desktops need to be included in this support package. The solution should support two factor user authentications for any user connections coming from outside the Bureau firewall. The solution should provide an infrastructure environment capable of supporting the Federal Desktop Core Configuration mandate. Information Requests The Bureau requests the following information about solution approaches, products, and services that could be provided to create a VDI environment. Technical Solution Please describe a technical solution for the Bureau's VDI environment. Please describe the technology and architecture, highlighting where the Bureau could have options and flexibility in the implementation. Here are some sample questions describing areas where the Bureau would like to learn more information: • What would a typical physical architecture look like? • What would a typical network architecture look like? • In a typical installation, could the existing SAN be expanded to support the solution? • In a typical installation, could the existing data center management tools be expanded to support the solution? • What would a typical disaster recovery plan look like for the data center servers? • What would a typical backup plan look like for the data center servers? • What would the transaction volume be for a typical environment of this size that is running the desktop applications described above? • How much bandwidth is needed to the servers in a typical environment of this size? • What network data flow showing protocols used and bandwidth projections of the tools needed for both data center and user devices? • What kinds of Operations and Management (O&M) activities and skills are typically required to support a VDI environment for both the data center and the user devices? Please provide a list of the typical hardware and software components needed to implement a solution such as this. Cost The Bureau would like to learn about the costs involved and factors that drive costs of a typical solution. Please discuss a budgetary cost for a typical project such as this and identify any options that may drive costs to the Bureau. Please assume the contractor will handle all the work to integrate the solution into the Bureau enterprise. • The contractor buys the hardware and software, and then installs the items in the Bureau's data center and on the user desktops. • The contractor buys the licenses needed to support the deployment. • The contractor brings the environment online and provides all the support needed for the first year of operation. • The contractor trains the Bureau personnel to take over the support after the first year of operation. The Bureau would also like to learn about cost factors in a typical solution of this size and complexity. Please consider discussing typical costs such as these: • What is a typical cost to support a desktop per year? • What is typical cost to support a blade server running this software per year? • What is a typical cost to deploy a new user or remove a user from the environment? Schedule The Bureau would like to learn about the time it takes to start up and deploy a typical solution of this size and complexity. Please describe the steps needed to implement a typical solution. Is there a typical strategy that works well for implementing a solution such as this? Also, please discuss any options and their effects on schedule for the Bureau to consider. Experiences and Risks Please provide a description of one or two relevant projects the company has been involved in that are similar to the Bureau's desired VDI infrastructure. Please discuss common risks and/or lessons learned from these previous experiences so that the Bureau may better understand key concerns with a solution like this. Submission Instructions Responses to the RFI should be in soft copies that utilize the PDF or MS Word file formats. Please include written descriptions of the solution, technical papers describing typical solutions, marketing brochures, descriptive articles, and other informative materials that may be helpful to the Bureau's understanding of a VDI solution. Responses to the RFI must be received by 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on June 21 via email to Mr. Kevin Moore: kevin.f.moore@census.gov. Please submit any questions, comments, and concerns via email to kevin.f.moore@census.gov. Please allow time for Ms. Census to respond to the inquiry. No oral communication accepted. Disclaimer DISCLAIMER: THIS RFI IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE A SOLICITATION OR ULTIMATELY AWARD A CONTRACT. RESPONSES WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PROPOSALS NOR WILL ANY AWARD BE MADE AS A RESULT OF THIS NOTICE. All information contained in the RFI is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. FAR clause 52.215-3, Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes is incorporated by reference in this RFI. The Government does not intend to pay for information received in response to this RFI. Responders to this invitation are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. This RFI will be the basis for collecting information on services available. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in this RFI that is marked "Proprietary" will be handled accordingly. Responses to the RFI will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/CB/13040001/YA1323-12-RF-0607 /listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Suitland, Maryland, 20746, United States
- Zip Code: 20746
- Zip Code: 20746
- Record
- SN02769261-W 20120609/120607235643-147ece2b3b22e20dc11a06b71d00419b (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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