SOURCES SOUGHT
D -- VIRTUAL DESKTOP INFRASTRUCTURE
- Notice Date
- 9/21/2015
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541519
— Other Computer Related Services
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 210.P, Greenbelt, MD
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- NNG15VDI_RFI
- Response Due
- 10/20/2015
- Archive Date
- 9/21/2016
- Point of Contact
- Danit Rainey, Contracting Officer, Phone 301-286-1340, Fax 301-286-2226, Email danit.rainey@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Danit Rainey
(danit.rainey@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This notice is issued by the NASA/GSFC to post a Request for Information via the internet, and solicit responses from interested parties. This document is for information and planning purposes and to allow industry the opportunity to verify reasonableness and feasibility of the requirement, as well as promote competition. Prospective offerors are invited to submit written comments or questions to: Danit Rainey, Danit.Rainey@nasa.gov, no later than October 20, 2015. When responding reference NNG15VDI_RFI. Comments may be forwarded to Danit Rainey via electronic transmission, Danit.Rainey@nasa.gov. This presolicitation synopsis is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response.Respondents will not be notified of the results. All responses will be treated as Source Selection Information. All vendor information will be protected to certify procurement integrity. Description The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Information Technology & Communications Directorate (ITCD) Innovation Program at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is soliciting information through this Request for Information (RFI) that will be used in determining a path forward in its goal of implementing a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) within GSFC. The principle objective of this RFI is for GSFC to receive information from industry that would assist in modifying its information technology (IT) infrastructure to: 1.Utilize VDI solutions to replace desktop automation and engineering workstation computers. 2.Deliver office automation applications that are not part of the standard user application suite. 3.Deliver engineering applications that are graphics intensive. 4.Provide recommended approaches to VDI such as, but not limited to, thin clients, repurposed hardware, bring your own device (BYOD), or other solutions. 5.Define the requirements for the implementation of a VDI solution. 6.Define the steps and processes involved in rolling out a VDI solution to such a large and technically diverse organization such as GSFC. 7.Deliver a solution that is specific to the GSFCs complex user base (See Appendix A) Vendors are encouraged to challenge requirements that are cost drivers or to suggest additional requirements or architecture changes that would improve the end user experience. Vendors are encouraged to offer any solution that meets or exceeds the requirements listed in this RFI. SECTION 1 BACKGROUND 1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is the nation's largest organization of scientists, engineers and technologists who build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study Earth, the sun, our solar system and the universe. Named for American rocketry pioneer Dr. Robert H. Goddard, the center was established May 1, 1959, as NASA's first space flight complex. Goddard and its several facilities are critical in carrying out NASA's missions of space exploration and scientific discovery. In addition to Goddard's main campus a few miles outside Washington, D.C., in Greenbelt, Maryland, the center manages several other facilities on behalf of NASA. 1.2 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS NASA-STD-2804 NASA-STD-2805 SP800-125 NIST Virtualization Security SECTION 2 SCOPE OVERVIEW NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA GSFC) is exploring the feasibility of deploying a basic VDI solution (onsite data center server-based desktop virtualization, cloud-based virtualization, or Desktop as a Service--DaaS) that allows NASA GSFC to easily provision virtual desktops that allow a large number of end-users to access documents, applications and resources they need with the device of their choice, including laptop computers (Mac OS or Windows), iPads, mobile phones, Kindle Fire, Android tablets, and zero clients at a cost that is highly competitive with traditional desktops and most VDI solutions. Using a VDI desktop environment eliminates the need for up-front investment and ongoing management of infrastructure, providing NASA GSFC end-users with an easy, cost-effective way to bring a simple, secure and broadly accessible desktop experience to end-users. Onsite, NASA GSFCs IT infrastructure has been decentralized and spread across different divisions, departments and buildings (scientific, engineering, laboratories, information technology, management, etc.) This decentralization of computer hardware and software has led to a number of inefficiencies and costs, among them: 1.Scattered Data Centers and Server Racks in different buildings and divisions. 2.Costly IT infrastructure, power and space. 3.Inadequate IT infrastructure capacity. 4.Outdated systems that are not capable of supporting GSFC business as they should. 5.Significant IT costs for Center management and operations. 6.Data integration and interoperability problems. 7.Large data storage requirements that continue to grow. 8.The need to meet Federal policy mandates without associated funding. 9.End-users are hybrid (onsite and remote) and need access to web-based resources. 10.A significant number of GSFCs end-users need a basic computing system. 11.GSFC end-users have the option of using any computing devices, including laptops (Mac OS or Windows), iPads, mobile phones, Kindle Fire, Android tablets, and zero clients at a cost that is highly competitive. GSFC is planning to achieve a significant IT cost reduction, improve agility and innovation benefits by means of using a VDI solution (onsite data center server-based desktop virtualization, cloud-based, or Desktop as a Service--DaaS). VDI has the potential to play a major role in addressing these inefficiencies and improving GSFCs service delivery. Simple to Use A VDI environment shall be easy to install and simple to use. End-users shall have the ability to create and install a simple VDI client or app with an integrated directory that incorporates a virtual office, including (but not limited to): productivity software, anti-virus security services, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Google Earth, 7-zip, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Air, Shockwave Player, Java SE Runtime Environment and other NASA GSFCs applications. Easy Provisioning Provisioning desktops shall be simple and easy to deploy. End-users shall be provided with a link or an email containing details on how they can download, launch and install the VDI installation client without the need to engage the assistance of technical staff. The VDI environment shall include support for multiple types of monitors, audio and video. Security The VDI solution shall be compliant with NASAs security policy requirements. When users are using VDI, NASA protected data (displayed on the virtual desktop) is kept in the VDI environment and is not sent to or stored on end-users devices. The VDI environment shall specify configuration options that control the desktop, including those that restrict users abilities to use local storage on their end-point devices. Persistent Storage End-users shall have the ability to store data on a 'user' storage volume attached to the VDI environment. End-users shall have the capability to sync their files and folders between their VDI environment and end-point computing devices and also to share files between virtual desktops themselves as well as to transfer files from the users end-point devices to their virtual desktop storage. This means that users always have access to their data regardless of the device that they are using. Data synced and transferred to and from the VDI shall be encrypted in transit and at rest. Data that end-users store on the 'user' volume attached to the VDI environment (virtual desktop) shall be automatically backed up on a daily basis. Desktop and Mobile Clients The VDI environment shall be available for both Windows and Mac computers, for iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android tablets, as well as for zero clients. VDI clients for iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android tablets shall have a number of features designed to provide users with a tablet-optimized desktop experience (through supporting protocols such as PCoIP). With a Kindle Fire, or Android tablet device, end-users can connect a keyboard or touch pad to have a laptop experience with their devices in the VDI environment. SECTION 3 RESPONSES TO RFI 3.1 TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES The proposed solution should address the following questions: Company Background 1.Provide a brief profile of the company, its management team, the companys vision, technology awards/recognitions and the current financial status. 2.Provide a summary of the current client base, highlighting similar sized clients within the Federal Government sector and distinguishing factors with competing products. 3.Identify at least one successful VDI installation of similar size and complexity in the Federal Government. Solution Overview and Architecture 1.Describe an overall approach to desktop virtualization 2.Provide examples of successful past implementations in large diverse organizations, including any Federal Government installations of comparable size and scope. 3.Describe in both narrative and illustration (Visio drawing), a logical and physical architecture for the deployment of a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure at an organization similar to NASA GSFC, including discussion of appliance-based versus vendor or customer provided hardware/software based) equipment and any platform dependencies. 4.Describe features native to the technology to ensure fault tolerance, high availability, and disaster recovery options, both local and remote hardware (clusters at multiple locations, total or partial failure of a cluster, etc.) 5.Describe the level of transparency to the user, i.e. how intrusive is the VDI into a users workflow. 6.Describe your VDI Delivery Model and options available, such as: Hosted Shared Desktop Hosted Virtual Desktop oPooled virtual desktop oDedicated virtual desktop oHybrid Desktop as a Service (DaaS) Client Hosted VDI In-house Hosted Model Cloud Hosted Model Technical Design 1.Describe how your solution provides application customization, distribution, and management; ability to handle personalize end user experience, one-off or custom applications; customization of the interface; lockdown capability; support for peripherals, such as USB drives, encrypted flash/thumb drives, phone synchronization; printer support and identification of printer location; support for video conferencing and web cams; support for high end graphics, video, and audio. 2.Describe how your solution implements user rights management, ability to manage file and data transfer in/out of system, ability to limit export of documents from VDI to host OS. 3.Describe your hardware deployment options, such as blade servers, SANS, switching fabrics, load balancing, etc., centralized reboot capability, host hardware and OS supported, thin, thick and zero clients, mobile platforms supported as hosts. Provide the minimal IOPS required for a typical VDI user and recommended storage options (SANS vs NAS, etc.). 4.Describe ability to centrally manage all user desktops. 5.Describe any best practices guidelines, processes, or procedures to minimize end user impact during the migration to a virtual desktop environment, including handling of user local data stores, peripherals, custom and/or one-off applications, drive mappings and server access, etc. 6.Describe bandwidth requirements for internal hosted, cloud hosted, and remote access, and specialized solution capabilities to support constrained bandwidth within GSFC locations. 7.Describe the solutions integration and functions supported with external authentication and authorization technologies (LDAP, Active Directory, RADIUS, TACACS, RSA SecurID, Entrust, PIV cards, and HSPD-12 cards). 8.Describe the solutions ability to work offline, i.e. on a plane or in locations without sufficient connectivity (VM check out, synchronization, etc.). 9.Describe the solutions ability to work remotely and secure. 10.Describe how your solution deals with VDI unique problems such as boot & AV storms. 11.Describe how users with local administrative or power user privileges are handled. 12.Describe any integration and interoperability with existing servers, to include file servers (Window and UNIX), Exchange, Blackberry, OWA. 13.Describe any firewalls, VPNS, and load-balancers supported, to include but not limited to Checkpoint, Cisco, Juniper, and Palo Alto. 14.Describe your solutions ability to support COOP (both cold and hot COOP sites). 15.Describe any specialized hardware requirements that are not included in the proposed solution. Deployment & Installation 1.In similar installations, what is the typical project timeframe from initial procurement to fully installed status?Describe the common project and/or technology challenges experienced in at least three similar sized installations 2.Based on the proposed size and complexity, what is the typical support component size in FTEs for initial deployment, fine tuning and ongoing product life cycle support? What levels of experience and person hour support times are required for ongoing maintenance of the product as represented by GSFC proposed sizing? 3.What is the methodology for software updates, patches, product testing, client driven new feature requests and hardening of the solution? 4.Provide an overview of onsite support provided during the installation phase and ongoing health checks.Include sample resumes of product engineers that would be assigned to GSFC. System Management 1.Describe the process to install, configure, and roll out new desktop images for a group of users. 2.Describe the management user interface to include the type of graphical presentation used, specific browser requirements, Java or other intermediate compiled language requirements, OS requirements, end user access requirements (root/admin access privileges) and any required client software management workstation. 3.Describe native tools/wizards available to assist with end user support. Describe logs and native reports provided by the solution and any tools to create custom reports that support search/retrieval of all fields, Boolean logic, and scripting languages. 4.Describe the integration of the alerting technology with e-mail, cell phones (voice and SMS), Blackberry Enterprise Services, third party messaging services, and enterprise alerting systems (through such protocols as SNMP). 5.Describe the integration with external ticketing systems and notification trees as it applies to various support levels, event severity and calendar schedule (time of day, day of week). Compliance and Security 1.Describe demonstrated compliance with all federal laws/regulations, OMB Circulars/Appendices, FIPS 140-2, NIST guidance and Presidential Directives applicable to federal agencies? 2.Describe compliance mapping of the solution with NIST Special Publication 800-53 and FIPS 199 for low, medium and high impact systems. 3.Describe the security options available in your product/solution, to include but not limited to, security event logging thru a SIEM, IDS, firewalls, account management, timeouts, application control. Appendix A GSFC Functional Requirements Project Management Product Data Lifecycle Management (PDLM) Risk Analysis & Management Requirements Tool Reviews Resources (Financial, WYEs & FTEs) Engineering Systems Engineering Modeling, Simulation Based Engineering (SBE) Data Stewardship Computer Based Manufacturing Testing Science Scientific Modeling and Supercomputing Instrument Data Processing and Re-processing Data Analysis, Distribution & Stewardship Scientific Processing Laboratory instrument management, data collection and real-time processing Technology Development Launch support services Safety & Mission Assurance (SMA) Operations SOCs & MOCs (Science & Mission Operations Centers) Space Communications Ground Control Launch operations Business and Administrative Financials OHCM (PII, Security/ On-boarding, Training, Performance, etc.) Facilities Transportation & Logistics Office Automation Legal Library Appendix B Acronyms AV Anti-Virus BYOD Bring Your Own Device COOP Continuity of Operations DaaS Desktop as a Service FIPS Federal Information Processing Standard FTE Full Time Equivalent GSFC Goddard Space Flight Center HSPD High Speed Packet Data HST Hubble Space Telescope IDS Intrusion Detection System IOPS Input/Output per Second IT Information Technology ITCD Information Technology & Communications Directorate LDAP Lightweight Directory Access Protocol NAS Network Attached Storage NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology OMB Office of Management & Budget OS Operating System OWA Outlook Web Access PCoIP Pixel Compression over Internet Protocol PIV Personal Identity Verification RADIUS Remote Access Dial-In User Service RFI Request for Information RSA Rivest, Shamir & Adleman (public key encryption technology) SAN Storage Area Network SIEM Security Information & Event Management SMS Short Message Service SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol TACACS Terminal Access Controller Access Control System UNIX Uniplexed Information and Computing System VDI Virtual Desktop Infrastructure VM Virtual Machine VPNS Virtual Private Network Service The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) GSFC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including Small, Small Disadvantaged (SDB), 8(a), Woman-owned (WOSB), Veteran Owned (VOSB), Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SD-VOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses,and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI) for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, 8(a), Woman-owned (WOSB), Service Disabled Veteran (SD-VOSB), or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses hereto. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service. It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/p ub_library/Omb.html.
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