for all questions about this rfp contact

Muscogee County School District Columbus, Georgia

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS For

Server Consolidation

RFP NUMBER 08-018

For all questions about this RFP contact:

Amy Callahan, Director of Purchasing Muscogee County School District

P.O. Box 2427, 5661 Lorenzo Road Columbus, GA 31902

706-748-2349 Fax 706-748-2359

[email protected]

RELEASED ON:

March 31, 2008

DUE ON:

April 30, 2008, 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time

MCSD Request for Proposal # 08-018 Server Consolidation

© 2008 Muscogee County School District of 46

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................4 1.1 OBJECTIVE..............................................................................................................................4 1.2 BACKGROUND.....................................................................................................................12 1.3 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS......................................................................................................14 1.4 RESTRICTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAFF................................................14 1.5 CONTRACT TERM ...............................................................................................................15

2.0 TERMS AND CONDITIONS..................................................................................................15 2.1 MUSCOGEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO: ...................15 2.2 PROPOSAL PERIOD .............................................................................................................15 2.3 CONTRACT............................................................................................................................16 2.4 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY .......................................................................................17 2.5 NON- COLLUSION CERTIFICATION ................................................................................17 2.6 DEBARMENT CERTIFICATION.........................................................................................17 2.7 GEORGIA SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION COMPLIANCE ACT OF 2006

CERTIFICATION ....................................................................................................................17 2.8 BONDING...............................................................................................................................18 2.9 INSURANCE ..........................................................................................................................19 2.10 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS ...............................................................................................20 2.11 MUSCOGEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS......................................20 2.12 FUNDING OUT CLAUSE .....................................................................................................21 2.13 PAYMENTS AND PRICING.................................................................................................21

3.0 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION...............................................................22 3.1 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION ...................................................................................................22 3.2 EVALUATION PROCESS.....................................................................................................23

4.0 MANDATORY MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS...................................................................24 4.1 PROPOSERS BUSINESS QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.......................................24 4.2 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS.........................................................................................25

5.0 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL......................................................................................................25 5.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................................26 5.2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................26 5.3 COMPANY BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE.............................................................26 5.4 FINANCIAL STABILITY......................................................................................................27 5.5 BUSINESS LITIGATION ......................................................................................................27 5.6 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST .................................................................................................27 5.7 EXCEPTIONS TO THE RFP .................................................................................................27 5.8 PROPOSED SOLUTION........................................................................................................28

6.0 FINANCIAL PROPOSAL .......................................................................................................30

7.0 PROPOSAL CERTIFICATION .............................................................................................30

APPENDIX A - PROPOSAL CERTIFICATION ...........................................................................31

APPENDIX B - FINANCIAL PROPOSAL .....................................................................................32



APPENDIX C - KEY PERSONNEL INFORMATION..................................................................34

APPENDIX D - VENDOR REFERENCES .....................................................................................35

APPENDIX E – ARCHITECTURE..................................................................................................36

APPENDIX F – NETWARE MIGRATION STRATEGY .............................................................42

APPENDIX G – MCSD DATABASE APPLICATIONS................................................................43

APPENDIX H – FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS MATRIX ...................................................44



1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Objective A. The overall objective of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to create a strategic

partnership with a systems integrator and service provider to deliver computing power in the form of centralized computing services – directory services, file and print services, email and calendar services, and database management services – and to deliver ongoing top-to-bottom support services (covering software and hardware) for these devices to the students, teachers, and staff of Muscogee County School District (MCSD).

As a strategic partnership, however, this relationship is expected to bring to MCSD more than just provision of equipment and support services. This project implements a foundational component of an overall Strategic Technology Framework. The following diagram is a high-level conceptual architecture view of this Framework.

Muscogee County School District

Strategic Technology Framework

Standards‐based Hardware ‐ Network Environment, End User Device Environment, Web Architecture

Standards‐based Software ‐ Desktop/Network Operating System, Enterprise Applications, Productivity/Instructional Applications

Standards‐based Skills - Employee Technology Skill Competencies, Student Technology Skill Competencies

District Intranet Portal External Public WebsiteDistrict Extranet

Communications & Collaboration Tools Web Content Delivery & Management Tools

Students

EmployeesParents

Partner Agencies

General Public

Students

Instructional Management & Delivery

Professional Growth & Development

Digital Learning Commons

Business Operations& Support

e‐Business Operations Center

Data Research,Analysis, & Management

Online Data Analysis Center

Muscogee County School District

Strategic Technology FrameworkMuscogee County School District

Strategic Technology Framework







District Intranet Portal External Public WebsiteDistrict Extranet

Communications & Collaboration Tools Web Content Delivery & Management Tools

District Intranet Portal External Public WebsiteDistrict ExtranetDistrict Intranet Portal External Public WebsiteDistrict Extranet

Communications & Collaboration Tools Web Content Delivery & Management ToolsCommunications & Collaboration Tools Web Content Delivery & Management Tools

Students

EmployeesParents

Partner Agencies

General Public

StudentsStudents

Employees

Students

EmployeesParents

Partner Agencies

General Public

Students

Parents

Partner Agencies

General Public

Students

Parents

Partner Agencies

General Public

Students































The foundational layer entitled “Standards-based Hardware” comprises three strategic infrastructure initiatives. The first of these, the implementation of a high-speed optical wide-area network (WAN) across the District, is nearing completion. The second provides upgraded local-area networks (LAN) including wireless access services within every District location. A provider has been selected for the second initiative and it is expected to be complete by mid-2009 with implementation proceeding concurrently with the third and final initiative in this foundational layer. The third initiative is divided in to three parts: End User Devices, Server Consolidation, and Software Rationalization. Part one, provision of End User Devices (desktop, notebook, and handheld computers) is in progress with a strategic partner to be selected in April, 2008.

Part two, selection of a strategic partner for the components identified in the Server Consolidation process is presented in this RFP. The outcome of this phase is intended to deliver reliable, up-to-date centralized computing and application storage services.

The successful proposal will exhibit an appreciation of the strategic partnership nature of this relationship and will demonstrate a deep understanding of the Strategic Technology Framework. It will show how this partnership can accelerate the implementation of the Framework so that the children and parents of Muscogee County can better and more rapidly begin to realize the instructional benefits of the services that ride atop these foundational infrastructure layers.

B. The laws of the State of Georgia shall prevail concerning all purchases and services under this RFP and subsequent contract(s). Venue shall be in the court of competent jurisdiction in Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia.

C. Detailed objectives include the following:



(1) Server management simplification. The current network and server environment has reached a level of complexity and diversity that it has exceeded the capability of the current staff to maintain, short of heroic, un-sustainable efforts. The successful proposer will leave the District with a greatly simplified, streamlined service and server management facility and tool sets that will allow the current staff to support the application service growth required to realize the Strategic Technology Framework vision.

(2) Provision of system support tools. Support for the current server and workstation environment is handicapped by a lack of suitable support tools. The successful proposer will bring to the District Technical Support staff tools to streamline and facilitate the following processes:

a. Simplified GPO administration

b. Simplified security administration, identity and access management, password management. (While single sign-on is not within the scope of this RFP, it will be a requirement for the upcoming Portal project. Conversion to AD and implementation of support tools should lay the groundwork for Portal single sign-on.)

c. Directory synchronization with external authoritative sources, such as Human Resources, Payroll, and, during the Netware coexistence period, the Netware directory services

d. Deployment of patches, service packs, and configuration scripts to workstations with scheduled execution and feedback on progress, completion, and success or failure

e. Deployment of applications to users and workstations

f. Management and control of application shortcuts by user roles and responsibilities (e.g., high school teacher, 4th grade student, Human Resources clerk, etc.)

g. Data migration

h. Hardware and software inventory with query and reporting capability

i. Integrated, seamless support for virtual machine environments

j. Bulk / mass administration of Active Directory objects (e.g., user accounts, contacts, machines, policies, groups, etc.)

k. Delegation of user account management

l. Self-service portal for password reset and controlled updates to account attributes

m. Reporting and auditing AD access and use; multiple report formats; export to common formats (e.g., comma/tab-delimited text, CVS, Excel, HTML)



n. Compliance and security reporting and auditing

o. DNS and DHCP management and diagnostics

p. Remote control of workstations to facilitate support

q. Monitoring, diagnostics and alerting, analysis and troubleshooting

r. Backup and restore, replication management

s. Other tools that facilitate management of the complex network services environment, reduce risk, and reduce the level of skill required to perform routine administrative tasks.

(3) Elimination of Netware. Netware has served the District well. However, numerous potential application choices are targeted for and have dependencies on Microsoft-based technical infrastructure, such as Active Directory, SQL Server, and Exchange. Standardizing on a Microsoft-based technical infrastructure better positions the District to select, deploy, and manage these applications. The District has engaged assistance from Microsoft to develop and test a high-level Netware coexistence and migration strategy. The successful proposer will complete the elimination of Netware as rapidly as it can be accomplished without undue service disruption.

(4) Active Directory implementation. Active Directory (AD) is the central pillar of the Microsoft enterprise technical infrastructure. It will become the enterprise directory for the entire District. AD implementation is prerequisite to every other aspect of this project, the LAN project, and EUD. The District has engaged assistance from Microsoft to perform an initial domain design and Netware coexistence and migration strategy. The District now has a basic implementation of Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and File/Print services in order to begin the LAN and EUD roll-out. The successful proposer will expand these services, as necessary, to facilitate seamless scalability to the level needed to support the Strategic Technology Framework vision.

(5) Implementation and expansion of new Email platform. The district currently uses IceWarp Merak mail server to host the existing email accounts. The district has approximately 7,000 accounts with 50MB of storage allotted to each account. In addition, calendaring, Anti-Spam, and Anti-Virus functionality is handled by the current Merak mail solution. The district requires a solution that integrates with the AD service, provides all the current functionality, and increases the current user account from 7,000 to approximately 10,000 to account for growth and provisioning of accounts for employees currently without email. In addition, the district requires a solution capable of providing email accounts for its 35,000 students. The district is open to consideration of hosted or outsourced solutions to meet the need for some student accounts.



(6) Central service hosting. The successful proposer will leave the District with the following enterprise class centralized services, hosted in the target architecture, available as a basis for strategic applications, and sustainable by the District’s technical staff.

a. Active Directory, as described above, including completion of the domain and subnet implementation. (A basic implementation is already in place.)

b. DNS and DHCP services to support the domain and subnet implementation, with management tools to simplify the administration of these services. (A basic implementation is already in place. DNS services include inside- as well as outward-facing DNS.)

c. Centralized file and print services consolidating in the data center in a pure Microsoft hosting environment those services currently provided in the distributed Netware environment.

d. Exchange email and calendar services, as described above, sufficient to support existing staff and scalable in a straightforward manner to support student accounts.

e. SQL Server to support conversion of SASI to DBMS platform, hosting of SunGard ERP, other existing SQL-based applications, and scalable in a straightforward manner to support future applications, including an implementation architecture for the future Data Warehouse.

f. Centralized end-user device management and software distribution to provide services currently provided by Zenworks.

g. The district will be releasing an RFP for a portal solution in the near future. The requirements for the portal will be that it be Active Directory aware and fully integrated to provide a mechanism for single sign-on. For the Server Consolidation project, consideration should be given during setup that will help facilitate the introduction of the portal.

(7) Backup solution. The successful proposer will leave the District with an enterprise class, scalable, functioning back-up and service recovery solution that supports the following:

a. A functioning implementation that supports full resumption of service within 48 hours (RTO) of restoring the production processor and storage environment, with a data loss of no more than 24 hours (RPO).

b. A functioning implementation that supports restoration at various levels, including physical volumes, logical volumes, folders / directories, individual files, and database tables.



c. A functioning implementation that supports automatic rotation an the ability to locate and restore daily backup data at any of the levels described in the preceding item from any of the preceding seven days, weekly backup data from any of the preceding five weeks, or monthly backup data from any of the preceding thirteen months.

d. A functioning implementation that minimizes application down time (e.g., by leveraging the storage subsystem’s snapshot capability) and is scalable in a straightforward manner to facilitate a 50% annual increase in storage capacity for at least the next five years.

e. An architecture that supports investment in improved back-up and data recovery facilities with shorter RTO and RPO options for some subset of production data depending on the business continuity needs of the District, to be determined.

(8) Temporary support services and knowledge transfer. MCSD technology services will require additional support for back-fill to enable internal staff to participate in the project and acquire the knowledge needed to sustain the environment after the project concludes. The successful proposer will provide the necessary temporary support services and will ensure that the necessary knowledge transfer occurs. Specifically, the district will seek support in the following manner:

a. Provide staff augmentation on current technology to relieve MCSD staff from daily duties. This will enable the MCSD staff to participate more fully in the implementation and training required for the new solutions. Provide two “level 1” technicians for one year. Tasks such as the following are representative of the kinds of skills expected:

i Drive to a school, remove and replace a defective network switch, perform tests to verify that functionality has been restored, and return the defective switch to the NOC.

ii Install or re-image a desktop or laptop computer.

iii Install memory and adapter cards in a desktop or laptop computer.

iv Copy files to/from removable media.

v Enter configuration commands according to a script provided by an MCSD technician.

vi Load and unload equipment (up to 50 pounds per item) into/from vehicle, lift equipment out of and into rack and secure.



vii Reset a user’s password

viii While at a remote location, observe and report observations in clear, standard English; manipulate computer equipment, network equipment, fiber patch cables, copper patch cables, etc. while in telephone communication with an MCSD technician located at the NOC.

ix Enter and update tracking information using the MCSD work request system.

b. Provide staff augmentation for the migration. MCSD staff will not perform the actual migrations but will take an oversight/on the Job training role in the migrations.

c. Provide written guidance and recommendation of training and skills development opportunities for the MCSD staff.

d. Development of a maintenance and operational procedures document that will be used with the new solutions.

e. Ongoing staff augmentation for a period after implementation and migration to allow for continuation of MCSD staff development.

f. On-call expertise for Microsoft AD, SQL Server, and Exchange to provide telephone support and assistance to MCSD technical staff, as needed.

g. Develop a written list of Microsoft Active Directory trainers/training facilities including specific courses, approximate costs, etc., that will be helpful to the implementation of this project.

h. Develop a written list of other trainers/training facilities including specific courses, approximate costs, etc., that will be helpful to the implementation of this project.

i. The district is open to suggestions on any additional support services the proposer may want to offer.

D. Scope of Work

(1) Hardware and software implementation necessary to accomplish the objectives in 1.1.C. The implementation shall conform to the target Central Services architecture described in Appendix E and provide the decoupling, scalability, and data protection features described therein.



(2) While high-availability clustering is not an aspect of the initial implementation, it is likely that clustering will be required at some point during the useful life of this investment. Therefore, the server-fabric-storage configuration proposed for the Central Services implementation must be eligible for Microsoft certification as a supported configuration for failover clustering.

(3) Completion of Active Directory production implementation as described in Appendix E.

(4) Completion of DNS and DHCP services production implementation as described in Appendix E.

(5) Implementation of centralized file / print services to support Netware migration and ongoing file/print requirements.

(6) Implementation of SQL Server services to support application migration and upcoming new application implementation as the Strategic Technology Framework is further defined and deployed.

(7) Implementation of end user device management, support, and software distribution tools.

(8) MS Exchange implementation sufficient to support existing MCSD staff and scalable to accommodate indicated growth expectations.

(9) Provision of temporary contract back-fill technical support staff augmentation to release MCSD internal resources for project participation and knowledge transfer, as described in 1.1.C.(8).

(10) Provision of on-call support services to provide ongoing advice and support for MCSD technical staff, as needed.

(11) Knowledge transfer to enable existing staff to provide sustainable support for the Central Services environment after the conclusion of the project.

(12) Completion of Netware migration with minimum disruption of ongoing MCSD operations, as described in Appendix F.

(13) Provision of a tool to populate and audit the Location attribute in AD for workstation and printer objects using the DHCP-assigned IP subnet address and for user accounts using the most recent workstation at which the user signed on, as described in Appendix E.

(14) Replacement of Zenworks functionality, as described in 1.2.B.(5) with a tool or combination of tools and methods that provide equivalent convenience and functionality and for which training and expertise are more readily available than for Zenworks.



1.2 Background A. The Muscogee County School District is the public school system serving the

Columbus, GA area. There are currently 64 schools and alternative centers educating over 30,000 students. The Muscogee County School District is the area’s largest employer-after neighboring Ft. Benning-with approximately 6,000 employees.

B. MCSD currently has an extensive, distributed Novell Netware environment that provides file and print services across the District. This environment is increasingly difficult to manage. The other in-flight components of the “Standards-based Hardware” foundational layer provide natural opportunities to move toward a more robust centralized service environment.

The current Netware environment includes:

(1) Distributed servers. The MCSD network consists of 70 locations with 192 Netware file / print servers. Almost all use TCP/IP – one isolated location uses IPX/SPX. Total capacity available for shared file storage is 14TB of which approximately 5.6TB is currently in use for application executables, deployment packages, instructional and administrative application data, student-created data, etc.

(2) Print services. Approximately 800 network printers are currently managed within the NDS environment. All network printers use JetDirect interfaces with TCP/IP. NDPS auto printer install features are used to install printers and drivers.

(3) Mixed Netware versions. Most locations are Novell Netware V.5.1; the Data Center and three of the newer locations are Novell OES V.6.5. One isolated application uses Netware V.3.1.2

(4) Application dependencies. Approximately 7,000 application objects exist in the NDS tree. Each object encapsulates the information necessary to launch the application, including paths to the executables, data paths, and in some cases, installation files. User authorizations for applications are managed through NDS user-application bindings. A few applications depend on DBMS services that are currently provided by NLMs at 20-25 locations. Applications are generally hosted on file shares; most dependencies involve the drive mappings and/or UNC references to the executables and shared directories. A future project will be dedicated to software consolidation as the District seeks to purchase enterprise software when available. For a list of enterprise applications currently in use or being implemented, please consult Appendix G of this document.

(5) ZenWorks dependencies. Zenworks version 7 and Zenworks version 3.2 are currently used in the following roles across the District

a. Student application launcher



b. Pushing application code, maintenance scripts, and registry changes to workstations and removing applications from workstations

c. Scheduled and ad hoc application and script execution with status reporting, without user intervention

d. Workstion troubleshooting diagnosis

e. Workstation desktop user interface design; grouping similar applications (Folder Views)

f. Access control of workstation files and drives

g. Workstation remote desktop control

h. PXE and imaging (by workstation, scheduled en masse, or upon shutdown, startup or user response)

(6) Coexistence. As a part of the Netware migration strategy developed with Microsoft assistance, a number of workstations have been deployed with concurrent authentication on both the Netware and Microsoft AD domain. These workstations are capable of running applications hosted in either environment.

C. Opportunities presented by the WAN, LAN, and EUD projects.

(1) The WAN project. In June, 2008, MCSD will complete the roll-out of an optical wide-area network that will deliver reliable gigabit connectivity between the data center to each location. Reliable, high-speed connectivity provides an opportunity to centralize server facilities for improved management and to realize economies of scale.

(2) The LAN project. In March, 2008, MCSD contracted with ProSys to upgrade the local area networks in each location to bring gigabit Ethernet service to each office and classroom, and to deploy a robust wireless infrastructure across the district. This project will be completed location-by-location over the next twelve months. The completion of the LAN project at a location includes replacing the network switches, which provides a natural opportunity to reengineer the subnet structure, to bring the location’s application file shares and print services into the centralized server environment, and to remove the Netware redirector from the workstations deployed at that location.

(3) The EUD project. In April, 2008, MCSD will select a partner to provide End User Devices, beginning with desktop, notebook, and handheld computers to the District in an ongoing refresh cycle. Within the first year, this project will result in as many as 4,000 upgrades across the District, eliminating the most obsolete systems, and beginning the process of standardizing end-user computing hardware. This project also provides an opportunity to standardize the operating system, security sign-on, policies, and user interface software for all new machines deployed.



1.3 Schedule of Events This Request for Proposals will be governed by the following schedule:

3/31/2008 Release of RFP

4/14/2008 Noon deadline for written questions

4/15/2008 Proposer’s Conference 1:00 – 4:00 at the Columbus Public Library, Synovus Room. (Please verify this via the MCSD web site in case of change.)

4/20/08 Answers to questions posted on the MCSD website

4/30/08 Proposals due

5/5/08

Oral presentations by selected vendors 1:00 – 5:00 at the Columbus Public Library, Synovus Room. (Please verify this via the MCSD web site in case of change.)

5/12/08 Award Recommendation to School Board (public meeting)

5/19/08 Contract awarded (at Board Meeting)

5/20/08 Partner begins work

1.4 Restrictions on Communications with Staff

A. All questions about this RFP must be directed in writing to:

Amy Callahan Director of Purchasing Muscogee County School District P.O. Box 2427 5661 Lorenzo Road Columbus, GA 31902 706-748-2349 Fax 706-748-2359 [email protected]



B. No other MCSD employee shall be contacted regarding this RFP. The school district reserves the right to reject the proposal of any proposer violating this provision. If any vendor finds discrepancies or omissions in this RFP, or is in doubt as to the meaning of a particular requirement, submit notifications and questions in writing or via e-mail for interpretation, correction or clarification. Only written questions and written answers regarding this RFP shall be binding. All questions shall be submitted by noon Eastern Time on April 14, 2008. Answers will be posted to the MCSD website after that date.

1.5 Contract Term A. The initial contract term is for 12 months, from June, 2008 through July, 2009,

with four additional one-year options to renew. Renewals shall be based on the fiscal year and shall depend upon funding, contractor performance, and agreement by both parties. Contract award and optional renewals shall be initiated by issuance of an annual purchase order.

B. In compliance with State of Georgia law, O.C.G.A. 20-2-506, the contract shall terminate absolutely and without further obligation at the close of the calendar year. The contract shall automatically renew, unless positive action is taken by the school system, and shall terminate at the end of the contract period.

2.0 TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.1 Muscogee County School District Reserves the Right to: A. Waive formalities and technicalities in any proposal

B. Reject any and/or all proposals wherein its judgment, it will be in the best interest of the school district

C. Accept the proposal that in its judgment will be in its best interest

D. At its option, award on an individual component or on a lump sum basis

E. Award this contract to the vendor who in the school district’s opinion is most responsive and responsible, and will perform in the best interest of the Muscogee County School District. Price alone will not be the determining factor in the contract award.

F. Cancel or amend this RFP prior to the proposal due date. All amendments and additional information will be posted to the Muscogee County School District website at www.mcsdga.net. Proposers are encouraged to check this website frequently.

G. Determine whether or not a product is equal or equivalent to specifications.

H. Retain proposals and all submitted documentation.

2.2 Proposal Period

A. All proposals must be valid for at least 90 days after proposal due date.



B. A submitted proposal may be withdrawn prior to the due date by a written request to the Director of Purchasing. A request to withdraw a proposal must be signed by an authorized individual from the vendor’s company.

C. The cost for developing and delivering the proposal is the sole responsibility of the proposer.

2.3 Contract A. The proposer shall provide a sample contract which they intend to use if

awarded the contract. After the award, the winning proposer shall be required to enter into discussions with the school district to resolve any contractual differences. Failure to resolve contractual differences may lead to cancellation of the award. The District will prepare and negotiate a contract with the selected Vendor and give consideration, to the extent possible, to Vendor's standard contract and agreement.

B. The school district reserves the right to modify the contract to be consistent with the successful offer and to negotiate with the successful proposer other modifications, provided that no such modifications affect the evaluation criteria set forth herein, or give the successful proposer a competitive advantage.

C. The contractor shall notify the Muscogee County School District in writing if sub-contractors will be used. The contractor shall list that part of the work the sub-contractor is to furnish or perform and assume complete responsibility for such sub-contractor’s portion.

D. A form W-9 must accompany all contracts. All payments will be subject to backup withholdings of 28%, if a correct W-9 is not provided. All contracts and invoices must reflect the official name as registered with the IRS.

E. If you are an independent contractor, and are drawing retirement from the Georgia Teachers Retirement System, you must identify that in your proposal. If any of your employees are drawing retirement from the Georgia Teachers Retirement System, you must identify them and their duties, responsibilities and relationships as they apply to the goods and services your company will provide to the Muscogee County School District.



2.4 Equal Opportunity Policy Vendors shall abide by the school district’s non-discrimination policy (DJED). The vendor/contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, or national origin. The vendor/contractor shall take appropriate action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, handicap, or national origin. Such action shall include, but shall not be limited to the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and training. It is the further policy of the Board to insure equal opportunity for minority owned businesses and minority professionals with regard to all work, services, and supplies purchased by the Board and all construction projects undertaken by the Board which are competitively bid by the Board.

2.5 Non- Collusion Certification A. The proposer shall certify that the price(s) and amounts of this proposal have

been arrived at independently and without consultation, communication or agreement with any other contractor, proposer, or potential proposer. Neither the price(s) nor the amount of this proposal, and neither the approximate price(s) nor approximate amount of this proposal, have been disclosed to any other firm or person who is a proposer or potential proposer, and they will not be disclosed before contract award. No attempt has been made or will be made to induce any firm or person to refrain from submitting a proposal on this contract, or to submit a proposal higher than this proposal, or to submit any intentionally high or noncompetitive proposal or other form of complimentary proposal. The proposal is made in good faith and not pursuant to any agreement or discussion with, or inducement from, any firm or person to submit a complementary or other noncompetitive proposal.

B. The proposer, its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors and employees are not currently under investigation by any government agency and have not in the last three years been convicted or found liable for any act prohibited by State or Federal law in any jurisdiction, involving conspiracy or collusion with respect to bidding on any public contract. The proposer understands that collusive bidding is a violation of state and federal law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards.

2.6 Debarment Certification The proposer shall certify and swear that neither this vendor not its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal or state department or agency.

2.7 Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act of 2006 Certification The proposer shall certify that the proposer and any subsequent subcontractors have registered with and are participating in a federal work authorization program as outlined in the O.C.G.A. 13-10-91.



2.8 Bonding A. The Muscogee County School District may require that proposers furnish

bonds as security for faithful performance in several stages of the proposal process if the project has an estimated cost of $50,000 or greater. The school district may waive the bond requirements or require bonds at a lower project cost if it is in the best interest of the school district. The bonds will be used to conform to the Georgia law. Failure to provide the bonds when required may be grounds for termination of the contract or non-acceptance of the proposal. Bond requirements will need to be fulfilled before the Purchase Order will be issued and any work performed.

B. Bid Bond – Proposals may be required to be accompanied by a Bid Bond with good and sufficient surety for faithful acceptance of the contract. Bid bonds must be in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the total amount payable by the terms of the contract. The bid bond may be in the form of a certified check, cashier's check, or money order.

C. Performance Bond - All performance bonds are to be for 100% of the proposed total price. These bonds shall be furnished to cover the faithful performance of the contract. For multi-year contracts, the successful proposer shall furnish a bond in an amount equal to the value of the first year of this contract, to be renewed on an annual basis, if the option to renew the contract is exercised, prior to execution of the contract. The conditions of such bond shall be that the contractor shall faithfully perform the work called for in the contractual documents. Future bonds for option years shall be in the amount of the bid for the particular option year being renewed. Bonds must be issued by an approved surety firm listed in the Federal Register and licensed to write Surety Insurance in the State of Georgia.

D. Payment Bonds - The successful proposer shall furnish a payment bond of a surety company authorized to do business in the State of Georgia in an amount equal to 100% of the proposed total price. For multi-year contracts, the successful proposer shall furnish a bond in an amount equal to the value of the first year of this contract, to be renewed on an annual basis, if the option to renew the contract is exercised, prior to execution of this contract. The conditions of such bond shall be that the contractor shall faithfully pay for all material and labor associated with the work called for in the contractual documents.



2.9 Insurance A. The awarded contractor shall furnish to the MCSD a Certificate of Insurance

showing compliance with the limitations listed herein. The Certificate of Insurance must be sent to the Muscogee County School District prior to commencement of work. All Auto, General Liability and Umbrella policies shall name Muscogee County School District as an Additional insured. Property policies should name Muscogee County School Distract as Loss Payee, as their interest may appear. No insurance will be acceptable unless written by a company licensed by the State Insurance Department to do business in Muscogee County, Georgia and have a Best Guide financial Rating of A or better.

B. The vendor, and any of the vendor’s sub-contractors, agrees to comply with the provisions of worker’s compensation laws of the State of Georgia. A certificate from an insurance company showing issuance of worker’s compensation coverage for the State of Georgia or a certificate from Georgia Worker’s Compensation Board showing proof of ability to compensate directly shall be submitted to the Muscogee County School District prior to beginning the work.

C. It shall be stated on every policy or certificate of insurance, as the case may be, that “The insurance company agrees that Policy Number (insert the number) shall not be canceled, changed, or allowed to lapse until thirty (30) days after the Muscogee County School District has received written notice.”

D. The vendor further shall maintain such other insurance (with limits as shown below) that shall protect the vendor and Muscogee County School District from any claims for property damage or personal injury, including death, which may arise out of operations under this contract, and the vendor shall furnish the Muscogee County School District certificates and policies of such insurance as shown below.

E. Below is listed the insurance coverage which must be procured by the vendor at his own expense. The vendor agrees to follow instructions indicated in each case:

(1) Comprehensive General Liability Insurance. Personal injury, including death, with limits of $1,000,000 for each person and $2,000,000 for each accident.

(2) Professional Liability Insurance. Personal injury, including death, with limits of $1,000,000 for each person and $2,000,000 for each accident.

(3) Property Damage – limits of $100,000 for each accident and $300,000 for the aggregate.

(4) Auto Liability - including Owner, hired, and non-owned vehicles with limits of Bodily injury, including death limits of $1,000,000 for each person and $1,000,000 for each occurrence, and Property damage limits of $1,000,000 for each occurrence.



(5) Umbrella Excess Liability Insurance: Contractor shall carry umbrella excess liability including Auto, General Liability and Professional Liability in the amount of $1,000,000 over existing primary insurance and over self-insured hazards.

(6) Environment Impairment Liability and/or Pollution Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence

F. Warranty – The contractor shall provide at least a one year warranty indicating that the contractor will, at no cost to the Muscogee County School District, repair or replace new work which fails.

G. The contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless the Muscogee County School District, its officers, officials, representatives, agents and employees, from and against any and all claims, demands, suits, loss, damage, injury, and liability, including cost and expenses incurred in connection therewith, resulting from, arising out of, or in any way connected with the performance of the contract, except where caused by the active negligence, sole negligence or willful misconduct by the Muscogee County School District. This hold harmless clause is in no way an admission of liability on the part of the Muscogee County School District, or any of its agents, representatives, or employees.

2.10 Compliance with Laws The successful proposer shall procure all permits and licenses, pay all charges, taxes and fees, and give all notices necessary and incidental to the due and lawful prosecution of the work. All costs thereof shall be deemed to be included in the proposal price. The successful proposer shall, at all times, observe and comply with all Federal, State, City, and other laws, codes, ordinances, rules and regulations in any manner affecting the conduct of the work.

2.11 Muscogee County School District Requirements A. Muscogee County School District intends to continue some school business

functions during the project. The contractor must coordinate the installation schedule with a representative from the school district. This project must not interfere with any school business function.

B. Proposers shall carefully examine the work site to obtain first-hand knowledge of existing conditions.

C. School District Regulations - The contractor shall follow all applicable Muscogee County School District regulations while on Muscogee County School District property, including the no alcohol, no tobacco products, no weapons and drug-free policies.

(1) Displays and/or verbiage, including those on vehicles, shirts, or hats of tobacco, illegal drugs, alcoholic beverages, fire arms, profane or obscene language or gestures, is prohibited in accordance with School Board Policies.



(2) No products or materials containing asbestos or lead-based paints in any form shall be used in the work of this contract.

(3) A safe separation of work areas and occupied areas is required.

(4) The Contractor shall comply with the Federal Clean Water Act.

2.12 Funding Out Clause It is necessary that fiscal funding-out provisions be included in all contracts in which the terms are for periods longer than one year. Therefore, the following funding-out provisions are an integral part of this RFP, and must be agreed to by all proposers. The Muscogee County School District may, during the contract period, terminate or discontinue the purchase of goods, services or systems covered in this RFP at the end of the district’s then current fiscal year and upon 30 days prior written notice to the contracted vendor. Such prior written notice will state:

• That the lack of appropriated funds is the reason for termination, and

• Agreement not to replace the items or services being terminated with items or services with functions similar to those performed by the items or services covered in this RFP from another vendor in the succeeding funding period.

The complete statement “This written notification will thereafter release the district of all further obligations in any way related to such goods, services or systems covered herein.” must be included as part of any agreement with the district. No agreement will be considered that does not include this provision for “funding out”.

2.13 Payments and Pricing A. Payment for any work from this contract shall be made upon receipt,

inspection, and acceptance of completed work and receipt of proper itemized invoices.

B. The Muscogee County School District will not pay any penalties for late payment of invoices.

C. The district is exempt from State sales tax. All federal and state taxes and fees that can be eliminated in sales to public school systems in the State of Georgia should not be included in the proposed price.

D. Proposed prices shall include all charges to complete the work as specified. All deliveries are FOB destination with the school district assuming ownership and liability at the final destination when the project is complete.



3.0 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION

3.1 Proposal Submission A. Each proposal should be prepared simply and economically, avoiding the use

of elaborate promotional materials beyond those sufficient to provide a complete presentation. If supplemental materials are a necessary part of the technical proposal, the proposer should reference these materials in the technical proposal, identifying the document(s) and citing the appropriate section and page(s) to be reviewed.

B. The proposal must follow the sequence listed in the RFP. The proposal must be divided into two appropriately labeled separate documents - a Technical Submission and a Financial Proposal. Do not include price information in the Technical Proposal.

C. Provide six hard copies of the proposal with one clearly marked as “ORIGINAL”. Three full copies of the proposal should be submitted on electronic media such as a CD in PDF or Microsoft Word format. If there is a discrepancy between a hard copy submission and the companion CD submission, the hard copy will take precedence.

D. Proposals must be sealed and marked on the outside of the shipping package as follows: Proposal # 08-018 Server Consolidation Due: 2:00 p.m. 4/30/08

E. Submit the proposal to: Muscogee County School District Purchasing Department P.O. Box 2427 Columbus, GA 31902 5661 Lorenzo Road Columbus, GA 31904 706-748-2352

F. Any proposal received after the due date and time will not be evaluated. The due date for this proposal is 4/30/08 . The proposer has sole responsibility to insure that the proposal is delivered to the correct place by the proposal deadline. In order to protect the integrity of the Contracting process, proposals will not be disclosed until after award and signing of the Contract.

G. Delivery method of the proposal is by U.S. Mail, Private Mail Service Carriers, or Personal Delivery to the above location only. Faxed and emailed proposals will not be accepted.



3.2 Evaluation Process A. The evaluation of proposals received on or before the due date and time will be

conducted in three phases. If a proposal does not meet the requirements of the Administrative Review phase, it will not be evaluated in future phases.

(1) Administrative Review: The Purchasing Department will review all proposals to determine if they meet the following requirements:

a. Submitted by deadline

b. Separate Technical Submission and Financial Proposal

c. Technical Submission does not include any information from the Financial Proposal

d. The Proposal Certification Signature Page has been submitted with original signature

e. Proposer meets the Mandatory Minimum Requirements listed in section 4.0 of this RFP

(2) Technical Proposal Evaluation: Proposals which pass the Mandatory Minimum Requirements Review will be reviewed by the Technical Evaluation Team for quality and completeness. Technical proposals will be evaluated and scored in categories and may receive a maximum of 650 points.

a. Proposals will be scored according to the requirements listed in the Technical Proposal Requirements section of this RFP and assigned maximum points as indicated in the table below.

b. The following are the maximum possible points of each category:

Category Maximum Points

Percent

Technical Merit 350 30%

Service Merit 250 25%

Proposer Merit 100 10%

Price 350 35%

The Technical Proposal with the highest technical score will be adjusted up to 650 points. All other Technical proposals with 450 or more points (appx 70% of maximum points available) will receive a prorated technical score calculated using the following formula:

V = (P / H) x M



Where: P = Technical score of the proposal being adjusted H = Original technical score of the highest ranking proposal M = Maximum number of points available for technical proposal V = Assigned points for proposal being adjusted

(3) Financial Proposal Evaluation: a. Proposers shall use only the Financial Proposal workbook

provided with the RFP to supply pricing information.

b. Financial Proposals can receive a maximum of 350 points (the number of points difference in the maximum technical score and 1000 points). The Financial Proposal with the lowest cost will be awarded the full 350 points. All other Financial Proposals will receive a prorated score calculated using the following formula: V = (1 – (P – L) / H) x M Where: P = Total Cost of the proposal being adjusted H = Total Cost of the proposal with the highest cost L = Total Cost of the proposal with the lowest cost M = Maximum number of points for the Cost proposal V = Assigned points for proposal being adjusted

B. The scores earned by each vendor for each step will be combined and the committee will make a recommendation to award to a vendor on the basis of highest combined score.

C. The final award of this proposal is contingent upon the approval of the Board of Education.

D. Selection of a successful proposal is not the end of the contractual process; further negotiation over the contract terms and conditions will be necessary, which, in and of itself, could change the Vendor of choice.

E. Vendors responding to the original RFP will be notified of their selection or non-selection after the date of Vendor selection.

4.0 MANDATORY MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Proposers Business Qualification Requirements A. Proposer is licensed to do business in the State of Georgia, is in good standing

with federal, state and municipal jurisdictions to conduct business with the District, and is not under investigation or engaged in litigation that would hinder the conduct of business.



B. Proposer has presently, or will have at the time of implementation, the professionals, technicians and supporting staff necessary to deliver the proposed goods, services and systems.

C. Proposer has presently, or will have at the time of implementation, the required licenses, certifications, and subject matter knowledge to deliver the proposed goods, services and systems.

D. The proposer must be able to provide all required services in an equitable fashion through the District.

E. The proposer must be fully capable of delivering a solution inclusive of all required services described herein as a part of their proposed solution.

4.2 Submission Requirements A. A Technical Proposal organized according to the sequence defined in this RFP

and detailing the proposed approach to performing all of the services requested under Section 5.0. The Technical Proposal musts follow the outline and sequence specified in Section 5.0 and address all elements requested therein.

B. A completed Financial Proposal using the provided workbook. (See Appendix B.)

C. A sample contract.

D. A Dun & Bradstreet’s Comprehensive Report on the company issued within the last 12 months.

E. A signed Proposal Certification form. (See Appendix A.)

F. A Key Personnel listing. (See Appendix C.)

G. At least three Reference Accounts. (See Appendix D.)

H. A completed Functional Requirements Matrix as part of the Technical Proposal. (See Appendix H.)

5.0 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

This section identifies the information which must be submitted in the Technical Proposal. Proposer must demonstrate their ability to satisfy all Qualification and Technical Requirements as stated in the Scope of Work as well as detail their plan to perform the required services. The Technical Proposal must be structured in the following sequence and labeled with the corresponding titles stated below using the same outline numbers. Present factual assumptions used to develop the proposal. Offering to meet the requirements of the RFP or reference to the RFP will be considered incomplete. Each representation of fact or future performance will be incorporated into the contract as a warranty by the respondent.



5.1 Executive Summary Include an abstract, stating the proposer’s understanding of the nature and scope of the goods and services required and a brief demonstration of the capability to comply with all terms and conditions of this RFP. Include the company name and address and the name, address and telephone number of the person acting as the contact for matters concerning the proposal and the person who will be authorized to make legal representations. Indicate whether the proposer is an individual, partnership or corporation. The letter is to be signed by an officer or agent of the proposer who is authorized to legally bind the Vendor. It is necessary for each proposer to include a written statement that they understand and meet the mandatory minimum requirements as a part of the proposal, including specific information as necessary to demonstrate satisfaction of each requirement.

5.2 Table of Contents The Table of Contents and proposal will conform to the order, headings and sub-headings of this RFP as appropriate.

5.3 Company Background and Experience Proposer will describe their background, relevant experience, and qualifications. Include the following proposer Information:

• Company name, parent company name

• Address, city, state and zip of business offices

• Type of ownership

• State of incorporation

• Accounts receivable contact name, title, phone, email, address, city, state and zip

• Account executive name, title, phone, email, address, city, state and zip

• Primary project contact name, title, phone, email, address, city, state and zip

• Federal Tax ID number

Include the following descriptive information:

• State the nature and scope of the business

• Brief history of the business

• Length of time the company been licensed to do business

• Size of the organization

• A brief organizational chart showing the positions that will be involved with this project – detailed information of the background, certification, experience of these key personnel. Proposers will use the form in Appendix C to provide key personnel information.

• State the business philosophy and mission statement



• Briefly describe the three most similar contracts, preferably K-12 educational or other governmental agencies, or related engagements that proposer is currently engaged in or has completed within the past two years. Provide for each reference the customer name, contact name, title, telephone number and contract dates. Proposers will use the form in Appendix D to provide reference information.

Describe other qualifications that may be used to assess proposer’s capabilities. Please note that the District recognizes that the information requested may not apply in full to the goods, services or systems in this RFP, but the highest point levels will be awarded to those proposals where the respondent has clearly described additional reasons that the District may consider in establishing an enhanced and more productive business partnership.

• Methodology and effectiveness of project management experience, organization, capabilities and tools.

• Degree to which the respondent provides enhanced product support and how product lines and support services may provide the lowest, most effective total cost of ownership.

• Respondent’s ability to streamline product ordering and service invoicing.

• Applicable product or industry certifications, including manufacturing facility certifications.

• Applicable ISO certification

5.4 Financial Stability The proposer will provide financial information that would allow proposal evaluators to ascertain the financial stability of the firm.

• If a public company, the proposer will provide their most recent audited financial report.

• If a private company, the proposer will provide a copy of their most recent internal financial statement, and a letter from their financial institution, on the financial institution’s letterhead, stating the proposer’s financial stability.

5.5 Business Litigation The proposer will disclose any involvement by the organization or any officer or principal in any material business litigation within the last five (5) years. The disclosure will include an explanation, as well as the current status and/or disposition.

5.6 Conflicts of Interest Address the potential, if any, for conflict of interest.

5.7 Exceptions to the RFP Note any exceptions to the requirements and conditions in this RFP where applicable. If exceptions are not noted, the District assumes that the Vendor’s proposals meet stated requirement and any discovered deviation will result in disqualification of the proposal.



5.8 Proposed Solution The evaluation process will award the highest point levels to responses that most definitively and completely describe the aspects of the proposed service delivery.

A. Solution Narrative: For each service, proposers are required to provide detailed responses that include:

• The specifications associated with each service category

• The manageability of each service proposed

• The full functionality of each service proposed

The reliability and quality of each service proposed and service level guarantees including

• Service availability and reliability guarantees

• Service order processing timeframes

• Service repair response timeframes

• Service installation timeframes

The serviceability of each service proposed

The flexibilities and the upgradeability of each service proposed

The scalability of each service proposed

B. Functional Requirements Matrix: The proposer shall provide coded responses to all functional requirements as specified in Appendix H.

C. Requests for Information: The Proposer shall provide written responses to the following requests with the proposal, addressing each request in sufficient detail to allow the District to understand how the Proposer’s organization would fulfill the District’s needs. Supply responses in same order and numbered the same as the requests in this section.

(1) Describe how your organization would perform general customer service tasks, such as providing the status of purchase orders, support calls, trouble ticket management, and maintaining inventory information about the District’s account (by District, department, school), etc.

(2) Describe your invoice audit and resolution process.

(3) Include examples of Service Level Agreements and issue escalation procedures you would propose to the District for delivery, installation, and warranty service.

(4) Please include sample support process flows (including initial call generation, response procedures, call closing activities, and periodic performance reporting) within the proposal.

(5) Please describe the tools, training, staffing, skill sets, and processes that you would recommend for MCSD to sustain the Central Services environment after completion of this project.



(6) With the understanding that MCSD is looking for a strategic partner, please provide a list and brief description of value added services you can provide that address product road mapping, assisting the district in meeting its strategic plans and, specifically assisting the district in preparing its users for data migration (i.e. any training documentation, tip sheets, or other resources). Please provide a brief explanation of any other value added services you can bring to bear in assisting the district. Be sure to identify any additional costs.

(7) Please describe the on-call expertise services that you will provide to MCSD. What skill sets and level of skills are available? Describe the process of requesting service and the cost factors. What are the SLA response times?

(8) Please provide a description of training services you will provide to MCSD Information Technology staff to enable them to sustain the Central Services environment after the completion of this project.

(9) Under what conditions might the District incur additional costs that are not otherwise detailed in the proposal (e. g., exceeding thresholds or limits for problem/incident reports, lower than expected purchase quantities, after-hours deployment needs, etc.)? How will you assist the District in preventing unforeseen costs?

(10) Does your company utilize any third-party call centers or non-employees for customer service purposes? If so, please describe the specific tasks assigned to these call centers or non-employees.

(11) Describe how the account will be managed. Who will be the Single Point of Contact? Who will be the Account Executive? Briefly describe the Account Management team. What are the roles and responsibilities of each member of this team? How will this function add value for MCSD?

(12) Briefly describe how your company can assist MCSD in migrating existing applications to the new Central Services environment so that they better leverage the enhanced services (DBMS, directory, etc.) services available in that environment.

(13) Briefly describe how your proposal and recommendations will improve MCSD’s ability to sustain the expected level of service to the teachers, administrators, and students of Muscogee County. What tasks will be automated, easier, or eliminated altogether compared with the current environment? How does your proposal prepare MCSD to accommodate the technology changes, known and unknown, coming in the future?

(14) What services are available from your company to assist MCSD in business continuity and disaster recovery planning? In the event of a disaster, what services are available from your company to assist in recovery of essential data and services?



6.0 FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

Complete the Pricing Information as specified in Appendix B. Complete the tables and provide additional supporting information as required to clarify pricing.

7.0 PROPOSAL CERTIFICATION

Indicate a willingness to enter into an agreement by signing the Proposal Certification Form in Appendix A. Failure to sign this form will result in disqualification.



APPENDIX A - PROPOSAL CERTIFICATION

STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT

The Undersigned Service Provider/Contractor provides this Statement RFP Provisions Agreement to

the Muscogee County School District wherein the Undersigned acknowledges receipt of, awareness

of, and understanding of this RFP and agrees to meet, observe, and be bound by all applicable

provisions contained therein including but not limited to minimum eligibility requirements. The

Undersigned submits this Statement of RFP Provisions Agreement, understanding that a failure to

submit said RFP Provisions Agreement may constitute a basis for rejecting the Undersigned’s

proposal.

This the _____________ day of ____________________________ , 2007.

__________________________________

Service Provider/Contractor Signature



APPENDIX B - FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

A. The following hardware and services purchases should be priced in the RFP response using the Pricing spreadsheet posted with this RFP. The Pricing spreadsheet includes instructions and a detailed list of items to price. The information below is provided as an adjunct to the spreadsheet. If any discrepancies are found between the following information and the Pricing spreadsheet, the spreadsheet should be considered the authoritative source. Following the due date, during the evaluation process, individual proposers may be contacted by telephone and asked to clarify pricing information submitted on the Pricing spreadsheet.

1. 3 Network Services servers for AD, DNS, and DHCP (2 quad-core sockets, 8GB RAM, 2 Gigabit NIC, 5 15krpm 70GB+ SAS drives, 2 mirrored for OS + 3 RAID5 for data, Windows Server 2003 R2 64-bit) to complete the AD, DNS, and DHCP build-out.

2. 18 Central Services servers (4 quad-core sockets, 16GB RAM, 2 SAN HBA, 4 Gigabit NIC, 2 15krpm 70GB+ SAS drives mirrored for OS, Windows Server 2003 R2 64-bit) in the following roles:

a. 2 file servers

b. 2 print servers

c. 2 SQL Server servers

d. 2 Exchange back end servers

e. 2 Application servers, initially hosting OWA

f. 1 ERP server

g. 1 Testing environment server (multiple VM host)

h. 6 reserved servers to be deployed as needed for additional capacity

3. 16 TB (usable) enterprise-class SAN

a. Fabric switches that include virtualization and offload capabilities, or fabric switches and a virtualization appliance that provides these capabilities

b. No single point of failure – RAID protection, dual fabric paths with load balancing and fail-over

c. 2 TB optimized for performance and 14 TB optimized for cost-performance

d. Storage subsystem(s) include snapshot capability

4. Backup solution, price three options

a. Automated tape library capable of backing up 10 TB in 24 hours

b. Additional SAN storage: 16 TB optimized for cost-capacity

c. Your recommended optimum solution

5. 50KW UPS capable of sustaining the Central Services hardware environment for at least 2 hours.

6. Provided itemized pricing for the services required to accomplish the Goals and Objectives specified in 1.1.C, with additional pricing break-down for the following:

a. Elimination of Netware: provide itemized pricing for the services required to accomplish each of the steps in steps in Appendix F.



b. Provision of Support Tools: provide itemized pricing for each of the software and/or hardware tools proposed.

c. Provide license pricing for each software product proposed.

d. Provide itemized pricing for on-site training (per hour, or per course).



APPENDIX C - KEY PERSONNEL INFORMATION

Key personnel information should be provided in the format below. Replicate forms as needed. Notes:

o Company refers to the company that directly employs the key contributor. If self-employed, enter “Self Employed.”

o Tenure refers to length of service with Company in years and months.

o Relation refers to the contracting relationship with MCSD for this project. (If Company name is the Proposer’s, Relation should be “Primary.”

Key Contributor Name Title

Company Tenure 0 Years, 0 Months

Degrees Relation Primary / Subcontractor

Role(s) in MCSD Project Relevant Experience

Key Contributor Name Title

Company Tenure 0 Years, 0 Months

Degrees Relation Primary / Subcontractor

Role(s) in MCSD Project Relevant Experience



APPENDIX D - VENDOR REFERENCES

(Replicate as needed.) Name of School District: _Phone:

Address:

District Project Manager: Title:

Service Dates: Product /Version:

Summary of Project:

Operating Budget: Number of Employees:

Number of Schools: Student Population:

Please indicate (by checking box) services provided for this reference: (1) AD implementation (5) Exchange impl. (9) Backup & recovery (2) Server consolidation (6) File/Print service impl. (10) Training (3) Netware migration (7) Staff augmentation (11) Oncall support (4) SQL Server impl. (8) System support tools (12) Hardware

Hardware Platform: _

Database Platform:

Operating System:



APPENDIX E – ARCHITECTURE

B. AD, DNS, and DHCP Services Architecture

The following network services deployment architecture was developed with Microsoft assistance. The following diagram shows the equipment that is already in production as well as equipment planned for deployment. The successful proposer will provide the additional hardware, software, and configuration services required to complete the District’s implementation of these critical functions.

Exchange AD SitePrimary AD Site

AD/DNS AD/DNS AD/DNS

DHCPAD/NDS Bridge(32-bit)

DHCP

AD/DNS

AD/DNS

Servers in green are already in production in the indicated roles. Servers in red are to be purchased and installed as part of this RFP. The yellow-colored machine is currently serving in another role but will be repurposed as an AD/DNS server as part of this project.



The directory consists of a single forest, a single domain, deployed in two sites, a main site and an auxiliary site for Exchange. All servers are running 64-bit Windows 2003 R2 with the exception of one small AD server which is running 32-bit OS to accommodate the current NDS bridge synchronization functionality.



AD Organizational Unit (OU) structure is organized around roles rather than locations. Here is an image of the top-level structure:



Additional directory maintenance tools may be required. One specific tool requirement has been identified for maintenance of a Location attribute in user account and workstation objects. This attribute is required in order to facilitate location of equipment, email distribution, and to enable lists and reports to be generated with selection or grouping by location. The Location can be inferred from the DHCP-assigned subnet and automatically populated when the device or person first authenticates to the domain. Subsequently, IP subnet can be used periodically to audit these objects to detect when they have moved to a new location, report the occurrence, and maintain the location attribute. The District requires a tool to automate this process. Other automation opportunities are likely to emerge as the project progresses.

C. Centralized Services Target Architecture

The following is a reference target architecture for the centralized services environment.

Scalability is of the essence. It is not possible to predict in advance the processor and storage capacity and performance needs of the district for the full realization of the Strategic Technology Framework. Therefore, the Central Services solution must be scalable in every dimension while preserving and leveraging existing equipment investments. The implementation shall have the following features:

1. Decoupling of processor, storage, and backup facilities such that these may be separately managed and scaled to meet the capacity needs of the district. Vendor independence is a key, non-negotiable feature of this decoupling. The interfaces must be capable of accommodating a heterogeneous mixture of equipment suppliers that changes over time.

2. Processor Environment

a. Virtualization - Ability to run multiple different operating system instances concurrently on the same physical server.



b. Headroom - Ability to at least double the installed processing power and memory within the same rack or cabinet by simply adding server units.

3. Storage Environment

a. Virtualization - Decoupling of physical storage volumes from logical storage volumes seen by the processing environment, similar to the capabilities provided by Unix Logical Volume Manager (LVM).

b. Hot Upgrade - Ability to add and replace unallocated physical volumes without disrupting ongoing production processing.

c. Hot Migration - Ability to migrate live production data among physical volumes without disrupting ongoing production processing.

d. Snapshot – Ability to create and maintain multiple point-in-time consistent views of storage contents (snapshot images) with support for database synchronization and minimal disruption of production processing when creating an image.

e. Headroom - Ability to at least double the installed storage capacity within the same rack or cabinet by simply adding HDAs.

4. Backup Environment

a. Snapshot Support - Ability to back up and/or mirror data from a snapshot image.

b. Mirroring – Ability to mirror production data synchronously and/or asynchronously over a shared gigabit WAN connection to a storage unit located in the Data Center facility or at a remote location, with support for QOS or data metering to preserve adequate bandwidth for other critical applications on the same link. (While remote mirroring is not within the scope of this RFP, it may arise as a requirement from future Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery planning. The equipment must be capable of adding remote mirroring while preserving all equipment and software investments made as a result of this RFP. Local mirroring is being considered as a data protection strategy within the scope of this RFP.)

c. Generational Backup – Ability to create, catalog, and restore from multiple full and incremental backup sets with flexible expiration and rotation schedules.

d. Offloading - Backup managed by the storage virtualization switch layer.

The server, HBA, fabric switch, and storage proposed must be eligible for Microsoft certification as a supported configuration for failover clustering.



APPENDIX F – NETWARE MIGRATION STRATEGY

A. The following Netware migration strategy was developed with Microsoft assistance. The successful proposer will fine tune and implement this strategy across the District.

1. Validate and complete the implementation of Active Directory, DNS, and DHCP services and hardware environment. The basic implementation is already in place and in production. Full deployment may require additional hardware.

2. Deploy file/print server infrastructure in conformance with the target centralized services architecture described above.

3. Finalize the interim Netware – AD synchronization solution. A basic implementation is already in place. It may be expedient to replace the current implementation with a more robust solution.

4. Provide tools, training and knowledge transfer sufficient to enable existing technical staff to sustain and enhance the central services infrastructure after completion of the Server Consolidation project.

5. In coordination with the LAN Upgrade project, for each location:

a. Inventory Netware server-based applications used at that location.

b. Ensure that the necessary server-based application executables are available on the Central Services file/print server environment.

c. Ensure that the necessary NLM-provided DBMS services are available in the Central Services environment.

d. Identify and migrate server-based application data and user data to the Central Services environment, as needed.

e. Remove the Netware redirector and the Netware-dependent version of Zenworks from each workstation at the location.

f. Resolve any remaining issues with duplicate SIDs, as needed.

g. Join to the internal.mcsdga.net domain any workstations not already members of the Domain.

h. Install the necessary agents to provide the services currently provided by the Netware-dependent version of Zenworks on each workstation.

i. Configure server and workstation print services, as needed, to enable necessary printing capability.

j. Verify that all essential applications and print services function correctly.

k. Physically remove the Netware servers from the location in compliance with MCSD procedures.



APPENDIX G – MCSD DATABASE APPLICATIONS

Function Software title Database used Student administration SASI Dbase IV Student grades Integrade Dbase IV Special education Clarity MS SQL Server Transportation Trapeze / Mapnet MS SQL Server Library Destiny MS SQL Server Enterprise Resource Planning

SunGard (Beginning implementation)

MS SQL Server

Instructional* Orchard MySQL Instructional* SuccessMaker Sybase *A separate project is underway that will identify the many instructional titles currently in use and determine the most effective deployment strategy.



APPENDIX H – FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS MATRIX

This section of the RFP contains instructions for responding to the functional requirements specified in section 1.1.D. In responding to the requirements, the codes indicated below must be used.

Please place one “X” under the appropriate response code column for each requirement. Response Code Definition

Y—Yes Requirement will be met. This requirement is met by proposed products and services that are operational at other sites and can be demonstrated to the School District.

N—No Requirement will not be provided. C1—Customization Requirement will be met by customizing existing products or processes

without any additional cost to MCSD. Note: In the Comments column next to this response, you must indicate the following: Description of customization Party who will perform the work (MCSD or Vendor) Estimated level of effort involved in hours Estimated level of complexity (High, Medium, Low)

C2—Customization Requirement will be met by customizing existing products or processes for an additional cost to MCSD. Note: In the Comments column next to this response, you must indicate the following: Description of customization Estimated level of effort involved in hours Estimated level of complexity (High, Medium, Low) Estimated associated costs (must also be included the Proposer’s

Prices, Appendix B, Vendor Financial Proposal). UD—Under Development Requirement will be met by products or processes that are currently under

development, in Beta test, or not yet released. Note: In the Comments column next to this response, indicate the date when the feature will be available for implementation. If possible, also indicate any additional costs.

P—Planned for Future Release

Requirement is planned for a future release or implementation. Note: In the Comments column next to this response, indicate the date when the feature is projected to be available for implementation.

3—Supplied by 3rd Party Requirement will be met by a subcontractor or third-party product that is included in this proposal. Note: In the Comments column, indicate the name of the proposed third-party solution and indicate the interface/integration services being proposed.



Notes:

1. An omitted response will be assumed to be “N.” 2. Only one response per requirement will be accepted. Multiple responses will be re-coded at the

discretion of the School District. 3. Any deviation from the response codes will be re-coded at the discretion of the District. 4. Costs associated with “C2” or “UD” responses should be clearly shown in the Comments

column and must be included in the Vendor Financial Proposal.



ONE RESPONSE PER REQUIREMENT

Ref. #

RFP FOR SERVER CONSOLIDATION

Y N C1 C2 UD P 3

COMMENTS

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FROM 1.1C. 1. Hardware and system software necessary to

accomplish 1.1.C objectives conformant to Appendix E architecture

2. Configuration eligible for Microsoft failover clustering support

3. Completion of AD production implementation 4. Completion of DNS & DHCP implementation 5. Centralized file/print service implementation 6. SQL Server implementation 7. Workstation management and support with S/W

distribution

8. Exchange implementation 9. Tech support staff augmentation 10. On-call support advisory services 11. Knowledge transfer 12. Netware migration, per Appendix F 13. Tool to populate and audit Location attribute 14. Zenworks replacement

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