Agenda Item
a. Disaster Recovery As A Service (DRaaS) Purchase Approval (in an amount not to exceed $700,000)
Summary: Presented by: Ms. Monika Davis, Chief Information Officer, Division of Information and Instructional Technology
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education approve the amended extension to RFP 17-487 Disaster Recovery As A Service (DRaaS) to CenturyLink Communications LLC (Lumen) and the purchase of Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) for the district, in an amount not to exceed $700,000.00.
Why: The purpose of this recommendation is to extend the current RFP 17-487 with CenturyLink Communications LLC (Lumen) for one year.
Details: After the initial board approval, the Information Technology Department and CenturyLink spent over six months performing deep discovery of the DCSD’s complex infrastructure and designing a unique plan for replication. An additional six months were spent on implementation and accomplishing the following milestones:
Link Established between 56 Marietta (DeKalb County School District) and 55 Marietta (CenturyLink)
AS400 Site established in Raleigh, North Carolina
AS400 Fail Over test successfully conducted
200 + Servers/Virtual Servers replicating to Sterling Virginia
During the 2018 - 2019 school year, Century Link and IT conducted 120 Business Continuity Planning/Business Impact Analysis Meetings that analyzed the financial, operational, reputational, and legal impacts a disaster might have on the district. The data from these meetings have been used to draft a business continuity plan for the district which will ultimately inform changes to our disaster recovery plan.
This solution currently replicates our entire data center.
The Division of Information and Instructional Technology is requesting an extension for one year. A recommendation for a bidding process in accordance with Board Policy DJE will be presented to the BOE by August 2023.
Financial impact: $700,000
100.1000.530000.00011.7600.9990.0308.070.0000
Contact: Ms. Monika Davis, Chief Information Officer, Division of Information and Instructional Technology, 678.676.1274
Effective: February 2023
Status: Approval by General Counsel
Executive Summary - Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
Decision Table for Disaster Recovery as a Service
Discussion of Requirements
Top Choices
Discussion of Options
Conclusion
Attachments
Attachment A: Ability to Executive ................................................................................................. 6
Decision Table for Ability to Executive
Relative Strengths
Conclusion
Attachment B: Discovery and Implementation ................................................................................ 8
Decision Table for Discovery and Implementation
Discussion of Requirements
Conclusion
Attachment C: Operations .............................................................................................................. 10
Decision Table for Operations
Relative Strengths
Conclusion
Attachment D: Power7 DRaaS Solution ........................................................................................ 12
Decision Table for Power7DRaaS Solution
Discussion Options
Relative Strengths
Conclusion
Attachment E: Anticipated Annual Cost ........................................................................................ 14
Decision Table for Cost
Cost Calculations
Conclusion
RFP 17-487
Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)
Executive Summary
Introduction
Based on a careful evaluation of how well each of the 5 possible choices could meet the 6 major
criteria considered, CenturyLink appears to be the best choice.
The 5 choices considered were:
CenturyLink
Peak 10
Konica Minolta
Consolidated Data Storage
Weems Design Studio
The criteria used to evaluate the options and their weights were:
Ability to Execute (25%)
Discovery and Implementation (25%)
Operations (15%)
Power7 (15%)
Cost (10%)
Security and Auditing (10%)
Of all of the choices considered, 3 were considered to be leading candidates. These "top options"
were:
CenturyLink
Peak 10
Konica Minolta
Cost was the most significant factor leading to the choice of CenturyLink over Peak 10. Ability to
Execute was the most significant factor leading to the choice of CenturyLink over Konica
Minolta.
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Evaluation
The question of "Disaster Recovery as a Service" was evaluated by means of a decision table.
Ability to Execute
Discovery and Implementation
Operations
Power7
Cost
Security and Auditing
Summary
CenturyLink 5.80 6.75 7.51 7.00 5.51 7.00 6.57
Peak 10 5.00 6.75 7.00 7.00 0.06 7.00 5.74
Konica Minolta 3.40 5.75 7.00 8.33 1.40 7.00 5.43
Consolidated Data Storage 7.00 6.75 7.00 0.00 3.61 7.00 6.53
Weems Design Studio 1.00 5.75 7.00 0.00 2.89 7.00 4.38
Decision Table for Disaster Recovery as a Service
Alternative choices considered are listed down the left side of the table. The criteria used to
evaluate the various options are listed along the top. Initially entered in no particular order, both
the choices and the criteria were then repositioned according to importance of criteria and
effectiveness of individual choices in meeting them.
As criteria are evaluated and weights assigned according to which factors are considered to be
most significant, the factors are sorted from left to right in order of importance (i.e., the factor
considered by the decision maker to be most significant in meeting overall needs ends up in the
leftmost position).
Similarly, as choices are evaluated according to effectiveness in meeting criteria, the best choices
migrate to the top of the list. When the process is complete, the best choice should emerge at the
top.
As selection alternatives and the criteria to be used in evaluating them are entered into the table,
weights are assigned to each of the evaluation factors so that they are ranked in order of their
importance in fulfilling the overall task.
Discussion of Requirements
The Evaluation Committee discussed the relative importance of all of the criteria. Since Disaster
Recovery is such a critical function, Ability to Execute rose to the top. If a provider cannot
execute the plan when a disaster is declared, the service is of no use.
Discovery and Implementation goes hand in hand with Ability to Execute. Unless the DRaaS
solution is based on good data and set up properly, there is little hope for a successful outcome in
the event of a disaster.
Cost fell to the bottom of the list.
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The Top Choices
The decision-making process has identified 3 of the choices as "top options." They were:
CenturyLink
Peak 10
Konica Minolta
Consolidated Data Storage would have been considered a "top option" except for a fatal flaw
(judged to have failed in meeting one of the criteria which will be explained later on page 13)
and is therefore classified as a "failure." Had they not failed to meet one of the criteria, this
additional choice would have been considered to be among the "top options":
Consolidated Data Storage
Comparisons among Choices
Relative strengths of the various choices in each of the factors is illustrated in the following
graph:
CenturyLink
Peak 10
Konica Minolta
Consolidated Data Storage
Weems Design Studio
Ability to Execute
Discovery and Implementation
Operations
Power7
Cost
Security and Auditing
Relative Strengths
CenturyLink versus Peak 10
CenturyLink was considered to be a better choice than Peak 10 in 3 of the 6 criteria
considered. Of these, the critical factor was:
Cost
The reason CenturyLink received a rating of Excellent for Cost was: CenturyLink proposed
the lowest cost solution. Peak 10 had the highest price solution.
Peak 10 versus Konica Minolta
Peak 10 was considered to be a better choice than Konica Minolta in 2 of the 6 criteria
considered. Of these, the critical factor was:
Ability to Execute
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The reason Peak 10 received a rating of Fair for Ability to Execute was: Peak 10 lacked
experience with large educational institutions and did not provide information on their
disaster declaration management experience.
Discussion of Options
CenturyLink
CenturyLink was judged Good in the matter of Operations. CenturyLink excelled in the
area of Operations because of the way they will handle Active Directory and their data
storage and replication process.
CenturyLink was judged Excellent in the matter of Cost. CenturyLink proposed the
lowest cost solution.
Peak 10
Peak 10 was judged Fair in the matter of Ability to Execute. Peak 10 lacked experience
with large educational institutions and did not provide information on their disaster
declaration management experience.
Peak 10 was judged Poor in the area of Cost. Peak 10 had the highest price solution.
Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta was judged Fair in the matter of Ability to Execute. Konika Minolta was
found deficient in 4 of the 5 criteria in the area of Ability to Execute.
Konica Minolta was judged Good in the matter of Discovery and Implementation, but did
not address the discovery process in their proposal.
Konica Minolta was judged Excellent in the matter of Power7. Its proposal to provide a
Power7 "Warm Site" set it above the rest.
Consolidated Data Storage
Consolidated Data Storage was judged Good in the matter of Ability to Execute, it met all
Ability to Execute Requirements.
Consolidated Data Storage was judged Fails in the matter of Power7 because it failed to
provide a Power7 DRaaS solution.
Weems Design Studio
Weems Design Studio was judged Poor in the matter of Ability to Execute. It has no
experience in the DRaaS space. The Evaluation Committee decided this is a major
deficiency in its Ability to Execute.
Weems Design Studio was judged Good in the matter of Discovery and Implementation,
but did not address the discovery process in their proposal.
Weems Design Studio was judged Fails in the matter of Power7. It failed to provide a
Power7 DRaaS solution.
Conclusion
After a careful evaluation of each option, CenturyLink appears to be the best provider of Disaster
Recovery as a Service.
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Attachment A: Ability to Execute
The criteria used to evaluate on Ability to Execute and their weights were:
Experience with 200+ Server Organizations (30%)
Providers References (30%)
Disaster Declaration Management Experience (20%)
Providers Hybrid Percentage (10%)
Providers Installed Base (10%)
Experience with 200+ server organizations is an indication of a providers experience with large
clients such as DeKalb County School District (DCSD). Consolidated Data Storage, CenturyLink
and Peak 10 all met this requirement earning them a score of 7.00. Konika Minolta had minimal
experience earning it a 3.00.
The Evaluation Committee was looking for experience with large educational institutions under
References. Only Consolidated Data Storage met the basic requirement set in the RFP earning it
a 7.00. CenturyLink, Konika Minolta and Peak 10 earned scores of 3.00.
Providing DRaaS and coming through when a disaster occurs are different things. Disaster
Declaration Management Experience was intended to measure the latter. In their responses
CenturyLink and Consolidated Data Storage demonstrated that they have this experience earning
them a score of 7.00. Peak 10 and Konika Minolta did not demonstrate this experience to the
satisfaction of the committee earning them a score of 3.00.
Providers Hybrid Percentage is a measure of the provider’s experience with mixed server types;
Physical Servers, Virtual Servers, Domain Controllers, SQL Servers, etc. CenturyLink,
Consolidated Data Storage, Peak 10 and Konika Minolta all met this requirement earning them
7.00.
Providers Installed Base is a measure of the provider’s overall size in the DRaaS space.
CenturyLink, Consolidated Data Storage and Peak 10 all met the requirements earning them
scores of 7.00. Although Konika Minolta is a very large company, the committee thought their
presence in the DRaaS space was lacking in this area earning them a score of 3.00.
Weems Design Studio has no experience in the DRaaS space, relying instead on a subcontractor.
For all other areas their proposal was based on the qualifications of the subcontractor, but in this
very important category of Ability to Execute the committee decided to evaluate on Weems’
credentials earning them the minimum 1.00 score across all criteria.
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Experience with 200+ Server Organizations
Providers References
Disaster Declaration Management Experience
Providers Hybrid Percentage
Providers Installed Base
Summary
Consolidated Data Storage 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00
CenturyLink 7.00 3.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 5.80
Peak 10 7.00 3.00 3.00 7.00 7.00 5.00
Konica Minolta 3.00 3.00 3.00 7.00 3.00 3.40
Weems Design Studio 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Decision Table for Ability to Execute
Consolidated Data Storage
CenturyLink
Peak 10
Konica Minolta
Weems Design Studio
Experience with 200+ Server Organizations
Providers References
Disaster Declaration Management Experience
Providers Hybrid Percentage
Providers Installed Base
Relative Strengths
Conclusion
After a careful evaluation of each option, Consolidated Data Storage appears to be the best choice
in the area of Ability to Execute.
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Attachment B: Discovery and Implementation
Seven (7) criteria were used to evaluate the respondents in the category of Discovery and
Implementation. The criteria used to evaluate the options and their weights were:
Implementation
Initial Data Transfer Process (25%)
Project Management (25%)
Discovery
Application Process Analysis (10%)
Data Center Configuration Analysis (10%)
Data Network Analysis (10%)
Data Storage and Replication Analysis (10%)
Logical Data Connections Analysis (10%)
.
Initial Data Transfer Process
Project Management
Application Process Analysis
Data Center Configuration Analysis
Data Network Analysis
Data Storage and Replication Analysis
Logical Data Connections Analysis
Summary
CenturyLink 6.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 6.75
Consolidated Data Storage 6.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 6.75
Peak 10 6.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 6.75
Konica Minolta 6.00 7.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.75
Weems Design Studio 6.00 7.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.75
Decision Table for Discovery and Implementation
Discussion of Requirements
All Respondents satisfied the Project Management requirements earning them a score of 7.00.
All respondents proposed using DCSD’s internet connection for the initial data transfer. There
was concern among the Evaluation Team over the impact of this transfer on the performance of
the DCSD network. Since none of the respondents discussed measures to mitigate this impact the
team decided to give all respondents a score of 6.00.
Century Link, Consolidated Data Storage and Peak 10 all satisfied the Discovery requirements
earning these companies a score of 7.00. Konika Minolta and Weems Design Studio did not
address the Discovery Process in their responses earning them both a score of 5.00.
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Conclusion
After a careful evaluation of each option, CenturyLink, Consolidated Data Storage and Peak 10
are the best choices in the area of Discovery and Implementation.
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Attachment C: Operations
In the area of Operations there was one criteria that the Evaluation Committee considered to be so
important that it should be evaluated on a Pass / Fail basis. That criteria is Managed Service vs.
Self Service. DCSD is looking for a complete Turn Key Solution. All respondents passed this
test.
The criteria used to evaluate in the area of Operations and their weights are:
Managed vs Self-Service (1%) Pass / Fail
Recovery Procedures (30%)
Recovery Toolset (30)
Data Storage and Replication (20%)
Remote Configuration and Monitoring (19%)
The evaluation Committee was impressed with CenturyLink’s proposal in the area of Operations.
Of particular note was their detailed discussion of how they would handle Active Directory, the
foundation of DCSD’s network, user, and server infrastructure. CenturyLink proposed creating
an Active Directory Site at their facilities with an always on Domain Controller and always on
VPN connection to the Dekalb Network. This head start in Recovery Procedures earned
CenturyLink a score of 8.00 in this criteria. CenturyLink’s proposal to use VMware’s vCloud
platform which simplifies the Data Storage and Replication process earned it an additional point
in the criteria of Data Storage and Replication.
Consolidated Data Storage, Konika Minolta, Peak 10 and Weems Design Studio all met the
Operations requirements earning these companies scores of 7.00 in all of the criteria.
Recovery Procedures
Recovery Toolset
Data Storage and Replication
Remote Configuration and Monitoring
Managed vs Self-services
Summary
CenturyLink 8.00 7.00 8.00 7.00 Pass 7.51
Consolidated Data Storage 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 Pass 7.00
Konica Minolta 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 Pass 7.00
Peak 10 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 Pass 7.00
Weems Design Studio 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 Pass 7.00
Decision Table for Operations
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CenturyLink
Consolidated Data Storage
Konica Minolta
Peak 10
Weems Design Studio
Recovery Procedures
Recovery Toolset
Data Storage and Replication
Remote Configuration and Monitoring
Managed vs Self-services
Relative Strengths
Conclusion
After a careful evaluation of each option, CenturyLink appears to be the best choice in the area of
Operations.
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Attachment D: Power7 DRaaS Solution
The IBM Power7 system that runs many of the district’s main accounting and HR software is
unique among all of the servers so the Evaluation Committee decided it should be evaluated
separately. There was one critical element that warranted a Pass / Fail evaluation. The
committee thought that the Power7 DRaaS solution should not be outsourced unless it was
outsourced to IBM. If a provider indicated that it would operate its own Power7 or if it was
outsourcing to IBM then it would Pass. If not, it would Fail. Because this was a Pass / Fail
requirement a weight of 1% was used for this criteria. Failure in this one criteria then earned
failure in all criteria.
The criteria used to evaluate the choices, and their weightings, were:
Own Power7 or Outsourced to IBM – (1%) Pass / Fail
Data Replication – 33%
Recovery Point Objective – 33%
Recovery Time Objective – 33%
Decision Table for Power7 DRaaS Solution
Discussion of Options
Konica Minolta is offering a Power7 warm site with heartbeat to heartbeat replication, producing
a virtual instantaneous Recovery Time Objective and Recovery Point Objective. This exceeds
DCSD's expectations earning Konica Minolta additional points.
CenturyLink and Peak 10 met all of DCSD’s expectations.
Consolidated Data Storage failed the Power7 requirement because it made no mention of their
Power7 DRaaS solution. This was a critical component of the RFP. The lack of a Power7
solution automatically disqualifies this proposal.
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Weems Design Studio failed the Power7 requirement because it also made no mention of their
Power7 DRaaS solution. Again, this was a critical component of the RFP. The lack of a Power7
solution automatically disqualifies this proposal.
Relative Strengths
Conclusion
After a careful evaluation of each option, Konica Minolta appears to be the best choice in the area
of Power7 DRaaS Solution.
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Attachment E: Anticipated Annual Cost
The Evaluation Team decided to evaluate the category of Cost by comparing the Anticipated
Annual Cost of each proposal. Respondents were asked to provide a complete package cost as
well as an array of individual costs. If the complete package cost proposed all of the services
required in the RFP, then that was the cost used in the calculations. If adjustments needed to be
made, then the individual costs would be factored in to create a cost figure that would include all
required services. Costs were entered into a decision table to produce a numeric score that was
entered into the overall decision table.
Antic ipated Annual Cost
Sum mary
CenturyLink 727620 5.51
Consolidated Data Storage 1035000 3.61
Weems Des ign Studio 1152064 2.89
Konic a Minolta 1370964 1.54
Peak 10 1609644 0.06
Decision Table for Cost
Cost Calculations
CenturyLink’s Anticipated Annual Cost was calculated using their Complete Packaged Pricing
bid of $60,635.00 per month x 12 months.
Consolidated Data Storage’s Anticipated Annual Cost was calculated using their Complete
Packaged Pricing bid of $86,250.00 per month x 12 months.
Weems Design Studio’s Anticipated Annual Cost was calculated using their 3 Year Complete
Packaged Pricing bid of $3,456,193.48.00 ÷ 3 years.
Konika Minolta’s Anticipated Annual Cost was calculated using their Complete Packaged Pricing
bid of $114,247.00 per month x 12 months.
Peak 10’s Anticipated Annual Cost was calculated using their Complete Packaged Pricing bid of
$134,137.00 per month x 12 months. There was an additional Implementation Cost of
$195,450.00 that was not factored in to the evaluation.
Conclusion
After a careful evaluation of each option, CenturyLink appears to be the best choice.
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