Flash Cache Card, Expansion Modules, Chassis and Cables

Trade Agreement: WTO-AGP/NAFTA/AIT/Canada-Peru
FTA/Canada-Colombia FTA
Tendering Procedures: Generally only one firm has been invited
to bid
Attachment: None
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Exclusive Rights
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address: 
NetApp Canada, Ltd
100 Milverton Drive
Suite 404
Mississauga Ontario
Canada
L5R4H1
Nature of Requirements: 
Nature of requirements

PWGSC File Number:	W8474-126247/A
Contracting Officer:		Jean Leclerc
Telephone Number:		819-956-0973
Fax Number:			819-956-1156
Descriptive Title:		Flash Cache Card, Expansion Modules, chassis
and cables
Proposed Contractor:		NetApp Canada Ltd or its designated
reseller


An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and
agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15)
calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it
intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a
pre-identified supplier. If no other supplier submits, on or
before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets
the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contracting authority
may then proceed with the award. However, should a Statement of
Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the
ACAN, and then the contracting officer will proceed to a full
tendering process.

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWSGC), on behalf
of the Department of National Defence (DND), intends to enter
into a contract with NetApp Canada Ltd or its designated
reseller, for the supply, delivery and installation of 140 Flash
Cache Cards for existing NetApp V3240 Controllers deployed
across the Canadian Forces. DND also requires I/O slot expansion
for 40 of their existing V3240 storage controllers to expand the
number of PCI-E adapters. In order to fulfill this requirement,
80 Expansion Modules, 40 empty chassis and 160 cables are
required. A 48-month 4-hour parts and labour on-site response
warranty is required for all products. The products are for
delivery to DND, Ottawa, Ontario, on or before March 31, 2012. 

Under the Government Contract Regulations 6.(d), the exception
to soliciting bids is as follows: only one person or firm is
capable of performing the contract.

The following extracts from the trade agreements are applicable
to this procurement:

NAFTA Article 1016.2 (b) - where, for works of art, or for
reasons connected with the protection of patents, copyrights or
other exclusive rights, or proprietary information or where
there is an absence of competition for technical reasons, the
goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier
and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.

WTO-AGP Article XV (b) when, for works of art or for reasons
connected with protection of exclusive rights, such as patents
or copyrights, or in the absence of competition for technical
reasons, the products or services can be supplied only by a
particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute
exists.

AIT agreement (Chapter 5, Article 506 section 12) part b) is
applicable).

Background

In March 2011, NetApp Canada Ltd. was awarded, via a competitive
procurement process, a $20M Contract (Contract:
W8474-115576/001/EJ) to supply the Department of National
Defence (DND) a total of 120 storage controllers and associated
hardware/software components. 

The NetApp Equipment and Software has been successfully
delivered, staged and deployed and is playing a critical roll
within DND's infrastructure.

With continued growth and recognizing NetApp's solution and
positive impact in not only being able to provide exactly what
DND required, but offering efficiencies to reduce cost and curb
future storage spend; DND is looking to purchase additional
NetApp equipment to complement their existing deployed
infrastructure. The Products in question are Flash Cache cards
and expansion chassis' strictly for the aforementioned storage
equipment already installed and or deployed. 

Maximum Budget/Total Estimated Cost (excluding GST/HST)

$6,194,349.84 for 140 Flash Cache Cards including installation
and 48-month 4-hour parts and labour on-site response warranty
and support.

$710,000.00 for 80 Expansion Modules, 40 chassis and 160 cables
including installation and 48-month 4-hour parts and labour
on-site response warranty and support.

Justification

Flash Cache Card 

NetApp Flash Cache, also known as a PAM card (Performance
Acceleration Module), is an intelligent caching module for
NetApp FAS family and V-Series storage systems. Flash Cache with
512GB of memory significantly improves performance and storage
efficiency for application workloads that are random read
intensive without adding more high-performance disk drives. In
essence it is a large read cache built using flash-based memory
technology. National Defence has made significant investments in
virtualization and critical applications, and the Flash Cash
cards will significantly reduce latency and improve throughput
to data by a factor of 10. Midrange and high-end NetApp storage
controllers can use one or more of these cards to cache data for
very rapid access. The Data ONTAP storage operating system
provides fully automatic, tunable control over the data that
will be placed into the Flash Cache module.

During the implementation and testing phase DND found that the
Flash Cache Card from NetApp provided vast performance
improvements and allowed DND to use SATA drives where normally
FC or SAS were used. This reduced the power and cooling
requirements and provided a better capacity per sq ft.

DND now wishes to purchase these Flash Cache Cards for all the
systems purchased from this previous RFP. Since NetApp was the
previous winner of the RFP they are best suited to provide the
Flash Cache Cards since they are OEM of the system that the
cards are being purchased for.

Any proposed equipment must be able to be physically installed
in the NetApp V3240 Controller without compromising the
functioning of the system.

Input/Output Expansion Module (IOXM) and Chassis

The IOXM module is a 1.5U unit. The IOXM can be integrated into
a FAS3240 and FAS3270 model to create the Expanded I/O versions
of those systems. The IOXM Module will allow DND to utilize more
adapters within the NetApp 3240 controller and allow DND to
fully utilize the existing system purchased from the RFP. NetApp
is in the best position to supply expansion chassis and they are
the original manufacturer of the NetApp V3240 controller.
Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

You are hereby notified that the government intends to negotiate
with one firm only as identified above. Should you have any
questions concerning this requirement, contact the contracting
officer identified above.

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and
agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15)
calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it
intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a
pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or
before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets
the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contracting authority
may then proceed with the award.  However, should a Statement of
Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the
ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full
tendering process.

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available
to provide the services/goods described herein, may submit a
statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person
identified in this Notice on or before the closing date of this
Notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate
how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

The PWGSC file number, the contracting officer's name and the
closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the
envelope in block letters or, in the case of a facsimile
transmission, on the covering page.

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any
procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.