comdisco

COMDISCO CONTINUITY SERVICES



PRESENTS A RESPONSE (THE PROPOSAL)



TO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR



NETWORK COMPUTING / DCH





USAGE AGREEMENT





This Proposal is the property of Comdisco Continuity Services (CCS) and contains a proprietary and

confidential Proposal. It is for the exclusive use of Network Computing for the sole purpose of

evaluating Comdiscoís offer. Network Computing shall have the right to disclose the data in its

publication and online site with the exclusion of customer references. These references are for the sole

use of Network Computing in its evaluation and can not be disclosed to any third parties.

FOREWORD

In considering Comdiscoís Proposal, we urge you to keep in mind that our mutual objective in providing

these services is to put in place a viable business continuity capability for Network Computingís

hypothetical company, DCH. As such, please note that this response to your Request for Proposal is

based on the preliminary Proposal provided to us by your organization as well as subsequent follow up

conversations. Since all Comdisco subscriptions can be upgraded at any time (except during disaster)

without penalty, the capabilities proposed herein could be viewed as a sound hardware/software

compatible starting point. Should more comprehensive hardware or telecommunications equipment be

required, customers can elect to bring that equipment to the Hot Site at time of disaster or add it to the

Comdisco subscription, if available. It is our sincere and mutual interest that our relationship produces a

viable business continuity capability for DCH.









Comdisco MISSION STATEMENT

"Our mission is to develop and deliver solutions that enable companies to PROTECT and RECREATE

the FLOW of CRITICAL INFORMATION."









VALIDITY OF PRICE PROPOSAL

The prices quoted within this Proposal shall remain valid for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days from

date of this Proposal.

NETWORK COMPUTING / DCH



TABLE OF CONTENTS





PAGE



PREFACE .................................................................................................................5



SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW ............................................9



SECTION 2: OBJECTIVES ADDRESSED .................................................... 13



SECTION 3: CURRENT CONCERNS ADDRESSED..................................... 15



SECTION 4: TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION.................................................. 17



SECTION 5: SOLUTION SUMMARY ........................................................... 35



SECTION 6: SOLUTION NETWORK MAP ................................................. 37



SECTION 7: PRODUCT FEATURES CHECKLIST.................................... 39



SECTION 8: COST AND COST JUSTIFICATION ...................................... 45



SECTION 9: IMPLEMENTATION AND TEST PLAN ............................... 47



SECTION 10: APPENDIX ................................................................................ 53

PREFACE



Comdisco Core Competencies



Comdisco is an independent technology services company that offers a comprehensive approach to

controlling the cost and chaos of distributed computing. Our innovative approach to delivering

diversified technology solutions includes business continuity; leasing; remarketing; network

management; asset management, and the metrics necessary to track and manage distributed

computing costs and risk across the enterprise.



What differentiates Comdisco in the technology services marketplace is our practical experience of

30 years in helping customers reduce their technology cost and risk, and the core competencies we

have developed that aid us in planning, creating, implementing and managing the solutions we

have brought to these customers.



Comdiscoís success and continued growth is due, in part, to our hard-earned reputation for

listening to and understanding the needs of our clients (Fortune 500/Global 1000) and the market.

It is our intention to understand the attributes you associate with an ideal business partner and

develop a mutually agreeable plan to insure that our relationship grows by design, not fades from

neglect.





Comdisco Business Continuity Services



Comdisco is the worldís largest and most experienced provider of business continuity services. In this

position, Comdisco can offer client organizations the best solutions available in the industry for

High Availability Services, Distributed Systems Recovery, Large Systems Recovery, WorkArea

Recovery, Consulting Services, Business Continuity Planning Software, Millennium Testing

Services, and other Business Continuity services.



 Independence:

Comdisco maintains a position of vendor independence. Comdisco Continuity Services recovery

facilities are populated with a wide spectrum of technology including: Sun, Compaq, Cisco, IBM,

EMC, DEC, HP, Stratus, Unisys. Comdiscoís vendor independence assures availability of

industry accepted and required technology as well as continued commitment to acquiring

customer requested equipment.



 Experience:

Comdisco Continuity Services has successfully supported over 300 disaster recoveries, 3,000 alerts

and over 35,000 customer tests. By leveraging a staff of the industryís most senior, seasoned and

technically proficient professionals, Comdisco has proactively assisted thousands of customers in

avoiding disasters.







Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 5

PREFACE





 Infrastructure:

Comdisco Continuity Services capital investment history, averaging $60 million on average per

year over the past five years and nearly $90 million planned for next year, demonstrates our

commitment to provide the services to grow with the ever-changing needs of our customers.



 Network Technology:

CCSNETô, Comdisco's private, high-speed fiber backbone network offers a wide range of solutions

for recovering voice, data, and image communications. It provides redundant telecommunications

links between a client's site and Comdisco recovery facilities worldwide. CCSNET also links

Comdisco computer recovery facilities via T-1 and T-3 circuits to network gateways which provide

access to alternative long distance carriers. The flexibility and redundancy implicit in the CCSNET

strategy is vital in testing and recovery.



 Industry Acceptance:

Comdisco has been recognized as the industry leader by many independent sources. Industry

analysts from the Gartner Group, Meta Group and IDC can speak to Comdiscoís vision and

experience in high availability and business continuity services (Comdisco can provide analyst

contact information). Additionally, Comdisco was inducted into Contingency Planning &

Management magazineís Hall of Fame (1998) for its outstanding contribution to the field of

business continuity and is the first and only business continuity provider ever to win this

distinction. Infosecurity News (July 1996) awarded Comdisco as having the Best Disaster

Recovery Service Provider (1995 as well), Best Planning Software Product (ComPASÆ) and Best

High Availability Service (Data Protection).



Comdisco draws on its extensive experience in both working with clients in the development of

their continuity programs, as well as our support of disaster recoveries. A Continuity program,

when implemented in its most beneficial manner, is a life-cycle program that continues to grow

and change with the business requirements. It is not just a recovery plan, but in a much broader

sense, a program that must address the constant change inherent to business environment.



Professional Consulting Services



Comdisco has more than 150 consultants dedicated to assisting customers in building continuity

programs to meet their business needs. This staff has a diverse mix of business (focusing largely

on financial services, manufacturing, retail and insurance) and technical (focusing largely on ERP,

I-Net, Call Center) skills. While this particular staff is focused solely on business continuity, they

are highly integrated with Comdiscoís asset management and network management consulting

staffs; together these three groups comprise Comdiscoís Integrated Services Division. Our

continuity consulting staff utilizes four unique characteristics to provide world-class business

continuity solutions for customers: (1) methodology and knowledge base, (2) experience, (3)

innovative and creative continuity strategies and (4) concise metrics and reporting.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 6

PREFACE



Alternate Facilities



Comdisco's worldwide network of recovery facilities includes capabilities for both computer and

business functions to ensure both the recovery of the organizationís business as well as the

technologies upon which the business relies. We offer ìhot sites,î fully equipped standby facilities,

modular processing facilities, and shells that can be equipped for extended use following a disaster.



WorkArea Recovery SolutionsÆ



Comdiscoís WorkArea Recovery has been ìfirst to marketî in both delivery and testing services,

ensuring that our customers have the facilities they require to restore both their distributed

technology as well as a productive work environment for their staff. We currently have

WorkArea Recovery facilities in more than 30 locations in the U.S., Canada and Europe. This

service allows companies to relocate key personnel to a nearby Comdisco WorkArea Recovery

facility and continue business operations in the event of a disruption. These facilities provide

services that extend recovery beyond the data center and include LAN/WAN infrastructures,

Intel-based LAN servers, PCs, terminals, workstations, telecommunications service, and

business/staff recovery capabilities.



Network Recovery Services



Comdisco maintains one of the worldís largest private networks and the only network devoted

exclusively to business continuity. Called CCSNET, this network provides interconnectivity

between customer networks and Comdisco and interfacility connectivity between Comdisco

recovery facilities, supports complex testing of customer environments, and is used to transport

mission-critical data for Comdiscoís high availability services.



High Availability Services



For companies that have an extremely low tolerance for data loss, Comdisco provides several

solutions designed to meet their unique requirements. These services include electronic vaulting,

mirroring, remote journaling, database shadowing, standby processing, standby DASD, and hot

network nodes.



Trading Floor Continuity Services



Comdisco provides secure, alternate facilities for the most critical systems and sophisticated

technology of trading floor and back office operations to ensure our financial customers have the

recovery services they require. Our clients -- the world’s largest securities firms, banks and

financial institutions -- are the risk management experts of the world, with billions of dollars on

the line each day. They count on Comdisco, so they never have to miss a trade. Comdisco offers

1,500 trading floor workstations and more than 7,000 WorkArea Recovery workstations

worldwide.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 7

PREFACE



Mobile Recovery



Comdisco provides completely mobile, computer-ready environments specially constructed for

disaster recovery that allow many companies to recover close to home. These mobile facilities are

made up of transport units, engineered and designed to provide a complete computer-ready

environment, offering up to 10,000 square feet of continuous office space, ready within hours

following disaster notification.



Millennium Testing Services



Nearly all organizations face tremendous exposure or regulatory pressure regarding the Year 2000

computer issue. Comdisco has taken its testing expertise and applied it to the Year 2000. These

testing services enable customers to re-create their systems and test their converted code in a

ìfully-loadedî environment, using one of Comdiscoís facilities or on Comdisco provided equipment.





Comdisco Customer Service Commitment



Comprehensive SLDs



All provided services are driven by, and continuously measured against, a detailed Service Level

Descriptions (SLD). At the inception of service, Comdisco tailors an SLD to each customerís

unique requirements. These descriptions are a foundation in defining our relationship.





End of Preface









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 8

SECTION 1



INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW



DCH has identified the criticality of its environment by three tiers.



 Mission-Critical ñ the following systems require a low data recovery time (<30 minutes) and a

low threshold for data loss (no missed/lost transactions).

 eCommerce/Trading Infrastructure

 Web Server

 Application Server

 Database Server

 Trading partner Links

 800 # IVR



 Mid-Critical -- the following systems have a middling tolerance time for data recovery (<4

hours) and data loss (last backup ~ <24 hours)

 NT servers (A, B)

 Local intranet Web servers



 High Tolerance ñ the following systems to have a high tolerance time for data recovery (24-48

hours) and no concern for data loss as focused on remote availability, not data backup.

 Network connections to internal Frame Relay

 Remoting of the work area LANs



Comdisco is ideally positioned to meet the recovery needs DCH has outlined, as well as to provide

additional services as DCHís needs evolve. For nearly 20 years, Comdisco has been providing

solutions that help companies protect and recreate the flow of information. Today, Comdisco is

the leading provider of business continuity services. It is based on this experience and an

understanding of DCHís business needs and requirements that we provide our Proposal.



The criteria we used in developing our solution include:

 Meets recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO)

 Uses innovative and proven technology

 Offers solid price performance

 Provides flexibility

 Ensures non-disruptive validation/testing

 Offers a comprehensive solution

 Meets known ìat time of disasterî performance

 Adheres to the level of risk the customer is willing to accept









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 9

INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW



Mission-Critical Systems



Our recommendation is to create an environment that ensures DCH has high availability and no

missed transactions for its most mission-critical systems ñ those requiring data availability within

30 minutes of a disaster.



To achieve this, we recommend a two-part strategy.



First, is to relocate DCHís standby systems to the Comdisco Chicago Metro Recovery Facility

(Wood Dale, IL). Currently, DCHís standby systems are physically co-located with the

production systems. In the event of a facility failure at that location, that causes the building to be

inaccessible or the systems to be destroyed, DCHís standby systems become inaccessible. Should

this type of disaster require DCH to relocate to a recovery facility, a solution could be designed to

ensure that the company can recover operations within its stated RTO and RPO. However,

during the time at the recovery site, DCH would be without backup systems (as they were

inaccessible due to the disaster). By relocating DCHís standby systems to the Comdisco Chicago

Metro facility, DCH significantly reduces its risk in a localized disaster.



Current production procedures (e.g., rdist and Oracle Replicate) would continue to be used to

provide services for the Sun platforms at the Comdisco Chicago Metro facility. Data would be

transported to this facility via a DS3 circuit which would connect to Comdiscoís CCSNET OC48

local loop in Chicago.



The second part of the strategy is to replicate and transmit file systems and data to the High

Availability Services area of Comdiscoís New York Metro Recovery Facility (Carlstadt, NJ).

Transmission would occur via CCSNET. At the New York hot site, the High Availability

configuration will include a Sun E450, which will manage the data in real-time, as well as an EMC

Symmetrix Array to provide mirroring of the critical information so that DCH can conduct

non-disruptive tests. Multiple pre-configured boot drives which are ready to accept updates of

operating system or application changes will be used to meet the low data recovery time

requirements.



For the Internet recovery, automatic rerouting of Internet data traffic to the Comdisco New York

Metro facility will be done via MCI and UUNet BGP4. BGP4 offers a flexible and controlled

method of supporting the redirection of Internet traffic, and is also the most straightforward and

time-effective method.



For the 800-number IVR, Comdisco further recommends providing a dedicated EIDE hard drive

which will be pre-configured with the appropriate software and stored, along with the

DCH-provided T1 card, at the Comdisco Metro Recovery Facility.



Lastly, for recovery of the low-speed leased line connections and dial out services DCH uses to

connect with payment providers and trading partners, Comdisco recommends a dial backup

solution. Based on each individual line speed, a combination of analog dial up and B-ISDN will be

utilized. This solution provides DCH with the connectivity they require during a disaster

situation, but without the cost of maintaining leased lines.



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 10

INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW





The benefits of this strategy for DCHís mission-critical systems include:

 DCH has now protected its investment in a standby environment from a localized site outage.

In the event of an outage requiring activation of the continuity plan and relocation of

operations and processing to the Comdisco New York Metro facility, DCH will continue to

have in place a standby environment at the Comdisco Chicago Metro facility.

 DCH will only be required to provision the ìlast mileî connection between DCHís location and

CCSNETís Metro Chicago SONET ring. CCSNET will then provide connectivity to both the

Chicago Metro facility and the New York Metro facility.

 Significant reduction in risk for ìreturn home.î Every disaster essentially requires two

recoveries: 1) recovering operations to the hot site and 2) recovering operations back home.

Rather than having to restore operations back home directly from the systems used at the hot

site, DCH will be able to restore operations from the standby facility. Should a failure or

problem arise during the restoral of home operations, DCH would continue to have the

recovery facility site serving as a backup.

 Ensured non-disruptive testing. The EMC Array mirrors the data and includes a feature

called Business Continuance Volumes (BCVs) to ensure non-disruptive testing. DCHís actual

data will not be compromised and will continue to be updated without disruption during

validation.

 A single Sun E450 server will capture the data updates and the disk will be switched to

multiple, isolated domains on a Sun E10000 for testing or in the event of a disaster.

 The capturing of transaction logs using Oracle Replicate provides for data integrity, such as

protection against viruses and data corruption.

 Selection of a hot site location in the New York metro area ensures DCH has accessibility to

multiple major airport hubs, allowing DCH to quickly relocate key staff to the facility.



Mid-Critical Systems



Given the current operating system, total disk space per system, current backup devices, a

rather stringent RTO and in the absence of detailed disk utilization and data dynamics

information, Comdisco proposes a hybrid solution to address the unique RTO/RPO

requirements of the NT and intranet servers that DCH has identified as mid-critical

systems.



Specifically, the solution consists of three components:

1. Install a full system restoration to the dedicated disk subsystems

2. Electronically vault incremental updates nightly to Comdisco over the DS3 / CCSNET circuit

3. Apply incremental updates from the electronic vault weekly



As with the mission critical systems, the mid-critical systems will use the Comdisco New York

Metro facility as the primary hot site.



The primary benefit of this hybrid solution is that DCHís RTO and RPO can be achieved

cost-effectively.





Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 11

INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW



High Tolerance Systems



For those systems that DCH is seeking to recover within 24-48 hours of a disaster, specifically the

network connections to the internal Frame Relay network, provisioned by MCI, and the remoting

of the work area LANs, we recommend using MCI Frame Relay backup PVCs at the Comdisco

New York Metro facility. Comdisco has multiple T1.5 Frame Relay ports, via diverse MCI

Central Offices, to accommodate DCH backup PVCs. Because DCH has chosen MCI as their

Frame Relay provider, this enables Comdisco to use backup PVC technology which Comdisco and

MCI have jointly proven to work effectively in test and recovery scenarios.





Support Services



Because of DCHís short recovery time objectives for many of its systems, support services will play

a critical role in our solution. Specifically, we recommend that Comdisco technical staff, working

with pre-developed instructions from DCH, begin the restoral of these systems in the event of a

disaster, while DCH employees are traveling to the hot-site facility.





End of Section









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 12

SECTION 2



OBJECTIVES ADDRESSED



DCHís objective is to implement a level of recovery and data integrity at a secure remote site equal

to that which it currently has in house according to the three specific recovery time objectives

(RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO) that it has identified, based on its business needs and

technical infrastructure.



Comdisco has applied a proven mix of High Availability Services and traditional hot site services

with the creative use of technologies to provide a cost-effective, technologically-robust solution

which may accommodate growth and migration to emerging technologies while meeting or

exceeding DCHís current RTO and RPO.



Comdiscoís proposed solution specifically addresses each of DCHís objectives as follows:



Mission-Critical Systems



DCH has indicated that the following systems require a low data recovery time (<30 minutes) and

a low threshold for data loss (no missed/lost transactions).

 eCommerce/Trading Infrastructure

 Web Server

 Application Server

 Database Server

 Trading partner Links

 800 # IVR



The solution that Comdisco proposes ensures the availability of these systems within the stated

time frame as well as ensuring against missed/lost transactions, and meets or exceeds the criteria

established in the Introduction.



Furthermore, because any loss of these systems would significantly impact DCHís ability to

conduct business, Comdisco has also recommended moving the existing DCH standby systems to a

remote location to 1) ensure DCH continues to have a backup of its data, even in a disaster

scenario and 2) to reduce the risk involved in restoring operations to DCHís location after a

disaster.



Also, due to the mission-criticality of these systems, Comdiscoís recommendation to use EMC

BCVs for validation ensures that testing will not compromise or interrupt the real-time remoting

of the data. The use of BGP4 for automatic re-routing of Internet data traffic to a Comdisco

recovery facility also ensures timely and cost-effective Internet recovery. Specifically, as recovery

service is required (or when it is no longer required) no intervention is required by the ISP, no

reconfiguration of the network is needed and there are no billable service-related charges to DCH.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 13

OBJECTIVES ADDRESSED



Ultimately, the bottom-line test is that this solution meets or exceeds DCHís RTO and RPO

objectives, and is technologically feasible today. It employs proven methods and technology while

keeping options open for other recovery scenarios in the future. For example, Comdisco has

recommended using EMC within the recovery environment, ensuring that DCH can conduct tests

without disruption to the transport of mission critical data. At the same time, within DCHís home

environment, Comdiscoís solution allows DCH to continue to use Oracle Replicate, a technology

with which DCH is already familiar, and a technology which ensures against data corruption.



This solution also provides the flexibility to migrate to other recovery technologies as they become

proven and DCH organizational requirements change over time. One such example, may be

moving to an EMC Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) solution.



Mid-Critical Systems



DCH has identified the following systems as having a middling tolerance time for data recovery

(<4 hours) and data loss (last backup ~ <24 hours)

 NT servers (A, B)

 Local intranet Web servers



As mentioned in the introduction, the primary benefit of our proposed hybrid solution for these

systems is that DCHís RTO and RPO can be cost-effectively achieved. While other solutions do

exist that could also meet the RPO and RTO, for example, physically shipping backup disks, they

would not meet DCHís objectives.



However, it is important to note that in our experience, support systems ñ as DCH has indicated

these systems to be ñ typically do not require recovery times of four hours or less. Specifically, in

our experience, the RTO for most support systems is generally about 24 hours. As a result, DCH

may want to re-evaluate the criticality of these systems as further cost savings could be achieved by

doing so.



High Tolerance Systems



DCH also has identified the following systems to have a high tolerance time for data recovery

(24-48 hours) and no concern for data loss as focused on remote availability, not data backup.

 Network connections to internal Frame Relay

 Remoting of the work area LANs



The Comdisco/MCI backup PVC solution weíve recommended is cost-effective and can

significantly exceed DCHís RTO.





End of Section









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 14

SECTION 3



CURRENT CONCERNS ADDRESSED



The solution that Comdisco proposes is designed to meet the management concerns of DCH. It is

cost-efficient, applying the most resources to the most critical applications, while not leaving the

other applications vulnerable.



Also, while the solution is technologically innovative, it is proven ñ not theoretical. Comdisco does

not advocate implementing technologies that have not been proven in the recovery environment.

Comdisco has had significant experience implementing each part of this solution for other

customers.



One key concern that DCH indicated was how to cost-effectively switch from a small replication

only server to a faster server necessary at time of disaster. We have proposed a Sun E450 as the

ongoing data capturing device while recommending switching to the Sun E10000 at time of disaster

for mission-critical systems. This solution is very cost-effective, only calling for the necessary

resources for transporting and managing the data day-to-day, while providing for the necessary

production level processing capability at time of disaster. The selection of routers also uses this

same logic: a lower cost router will be used for day-to-day operations, moving to a larger router

at time of disaster.



DCH also indicated another key concern was creating a comparable network environment without

having to support and fund a mirror image network hardware configuration. To address this

concern, Comdisco has used switched services where possible as well as CCSNET, our internal

network, to displace distant sensitive transport schemes. Weíve also sized the DCH to Comdisco

DS3 circuit (the circuit from DCHís location to Comdiscoís CCSNET in Chicago) to accommodate

for DCHís projected growth, thereby reducing further installation charges in the short term.



For the recovery of the intranet server and the NT file servers, DCH has indicated it would like an

imaginative approach, yet one that is technologically, financially and operationally feasible. The

hybrid solution we have proposed addresses each of these concerns. Incremental data changes

will be electronically transmitted to Comdiscoís New York Metro facility, and to ensure 4-hour

recovery, dedicated disk will be pre-configured from full backup, requiring that only incremental

changes be applied.



DCH also has indicated that supporting the network connections should be under DCHís

management control once the technical staff has arrived at the recovery facility. Comdisco

supports all customer network management protocols/tools and can ensure that DCH will be able

to fully recreate its SNMP management console within the recovery environment.





End of Section









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 15

SECTION 4



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



Mission-Critical Systems



SUN ENVIRONMENT



We propose using current production procedures (i.e. rdist & Oracle Replicate) to provide standby

services for the Sun platforms at the Comdisco Chicago Metro facility. This is facilitated over a

DS3 circuit provisioned from the DCH Ethernet Switch to Comdiscoís Chicago Metro OC48

SONET ring. File systems and data are then replicated to the High Availability Services area of the

Comdisco New York Metro Recovery Facility in Carlstadt, NJ. This transmission is provided over

CCSNET via multiple, diverse private and public DS3 connections from Wood Dale, IL (Chicago

Metro) to Comdiscoís New York Metro multiple OC48 SONET rings.



The High Availability configuration is comprised of one (1) Cisco Router, one (1) Sun E450 with a

single 300 MHz UltraSPARC2 Processor, 1GB memory, 10/100 Ethernet adapter and four (4)

SCSI adapters. Storage is provided on an EMC Symmetrix Disk Array with a minimum of 150GB

of useable storage. There will be five (5) external 9GB ìbootî drives pre-configured with Solaris

2.6 for use on hot site equipment. These are used to meet the ìlow data recovery timeî of <30

minutes. They are attached to one to four SCSI channels on the E450.



The E450 is sized to support the mounting of the file systems and for accepting transmission of the

replicated data. In the absence of disk utilization and data management reports, it is assumed that

the data on the Web server (8GB), two firewalls (4GB ea.), and the application server (12GB) disk

is fairly static, and as such File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a suitable method for updating the

drives.



At time of disaster and for validation testing, three (3) discrete Sun E10000 domains (Web,

application, and database servers) are provided. Each discrete domain contains four (4) CPUs,

2GB memory, SCSI adapter and quad 10/100 Ethernet adapters. Additionally, two (2)

UltraSPARC (firewalls) are provided. Each operating system contains one CPU, two (2) SCSI

adapters, and two (2) 10/100 Ethernet adapters. Each of these five discrete systems utilize one of

the external 9GB boot drives and the Web, application and database EMC disk partitions are

switched to the corresponding E10000 domains.



ECOMMERCE/TRADING INFRASTRUCTURE



For the Internet recovery, we propose using BGP4. MCI and UUNet both utilize BGP4 as their

primary Internet Routing Protocol. This provides the foundation for automatic re-routing of

Internet data traffic to a Comdisco recovery facility. BGP4 offers a flexible and controlled method

of supporting the redirection of Internet traffic. It is also the most straightforward and

time-effective method.







Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 17

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



If DCH is not utilizing BGP4 as their primary Internet Routing Protocol, they must effect the

change to it on both of their ISP accounts (MCI & UUNet). The BGP routing information is then

updated with each ISP and the accounts are assigned Autonomous Numbers (AS#) if one does not

already exist. The account is pre-configured for Alternate Site IP service.



 Default routes are defined each respective ISPís network. Comdisco and DCH will access the

ISPís Route Registry to identify specific routes. Once established, the Routing Registry may be

updated by submitting Route Objects.



The following is a summary of how this will work in a typical disaster recovery scenario:



1. DCHís IP address is removed from the network (router disconnected or unavailable)



2. Comdisco provides and configures a router to replicate DCHís configuration.



3. The router is configured for Outbound Static Address to be an all zero address with an all zero

mask.



4. The recovery site begins receiving all Internet data traffic destined for the customer.



The key benefits of this Internet recovery solution are that as recovery service is required (or when

it is no longer required) there is no intervention required by the ISP, no reconfiguration of the

network and no billable service-related charges to DCH.



800# IVR



Comdisco will provide one (1) dedicated 4.3GB EIDE hard drive which will be loaded with the

appropriate operating system and proprietary IVR software. DCH will provide a T1 card. These

items will be stored in the Comdisco New York Metro facility for use in recovery or testing. In

the absence of disk utilization and data management reports, it is assumed that the data on the

IVR (4GB) disk is fairly static. At time of disaster, the 4.3GB hard drive and proprietary T1 card

are installed in a Compaq DeskPro 6000, Pentium II 266MHz with 64MB memory and two 10/100

Ethernet adapters.



TRADING PARTNER LINKS



Comdisco recommends a dial backup solution for the 20 leased line connections to DCH payment

providers and trading partners. Based on each individual line speed, a combination of analog dial

up and B-ISDN will be utilized. This solution provides DCH with the connectivity they require

during a disaster situation, but avoids the recurring monthly cost of leased lines. DCH is

responsible for actual usage charges associated with these circuits.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 18

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



Strengths of Strategy



The High Availability component of the solution addresses low data recovery times, low thresholds

for data loss, low risk tolerance and future expansion by the following:



 The High Availability configuration is dedicated to the exclusive use of DCH.



 Pre-configured boot drives are an innovative use of simple components to facilitate accepting

replication on a scaled back computing platform and transitioning to less costly hot site

configuration for actual recovery and validation while still performing within the low data

recovery time arena.



 EMC Symmetrix Disk with BCVs (Business Continuance Volumes) provides the ability to

validate/test in a non-disruptive mode. This means that not only is the production environment

preserved, the standby systems continue to provide data loss protection and the backup

capability is able to remain synchronized with the standby systems even during validation.



 The standby environment remains functional even in the event of an actual disaster. This

preserves current DCH operations standards for data protection and provides for a smooth

transition back to DCHís home environment following a recovery.



Mid-Critical Systems



Given the current operating system, total disk space per system, current backup devices, a rather

stringent RTO and in the absence of detailed disk utilization and data dynamics information,

Comdisco proposes a hybrid solution to address the unique RTO/RPO requirements of the NT and

intranet servers.



The solution consists of three components:

 An RTO reduction component using dedicated and pre-staged disk subsystems

 A data currency component given RTO, DCH backup methodology and geographic dispersion

of the recovery facility from the production environment.

 A traditional hot site to provide the CPUs in a cost effective manner.



Note: the standby services currently employed for the three-server (NT A, NT B & Intranet) NT

environment provide for ìmany-(3)-to-oneî protection. As such, it protects from local

hardware/data failure on any one of the three servers, but cannot afford fail-over for a site outage,

i.e. all three servers concurrently. With this in mind, we propose maintaining this configuration at

the DCH location. As localized, many-to-one, server protection, there is no value in relocating it

with the low tolerance standby systems.



The dedicated and pre-staged disk is comprised of Compaq ProLiant U1 disk subsystems.



The NT A & B servers are populated with four (4) 9.1GB hot pluggable UltraWide SCSI-3 drives

for a total of 36GB per system. This is to protect 32GB per system of production storage and

accommodates 10%+ growth.



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 19

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION





The intranet server is populated with two (2) 9.1GB hot pluggable UltraWide SCSI-3 drives for a

total of 18GB. This is to protect 12GB of production storage and accommodates 50% growth.



All drives are pre-configured with NT Server 4.0 operating system. A full restore of applications

and data is performed from DLT tape. The systems and applications are then reinitialized to

recognize and accommodate hardware differences between the production NT registry to the

recovery platform NT registry (if any).



Comdisco advocates allocating one (1) hour to install the NT operating system, backup software

and make all system resources available to the operating system. DCH currently utilizes a single

DLT device per server for backup and restoration. The DLT model was not clarified although this

information was requested. DLT drives up to 20/40GB achieve theoretical restoration of

approximately 5GB/hour. 35/70GB DLT drives achieve a theoretical restoration of approximately

15GB/hour. Given immediate availability of tapes and a current full backup, both NT A & B would

exceed the <4 hour RTO utilizing 20/40GB DLT technology in a traditional hot site / tape

restoration solution. NT A & B would run slightly over 3 hours total restoration under these

assumptions with 35/70GB DLT technology.



Given the fact that DCHís primary recovery facility (the New York Metro facility) is

geographically diverse from itís production environment and that DCH performs incremental

backups during the week, we believe it is unrealistic to assume that tapes are immediately available

and that DCH could meet any of its stated RTOs even with 35/70GB DLT technology.



To address the incremental and geographically disperse recovery scenario, Comdisco proposes to:

1. Install a full system restoration to the dedicated disk subsystems

2. Electronically vault incremental updates nightly to Comdisco over the DS3/CCSNET circuit

3. Apply incremental updates from the electronic vault weekly



For recovery and validation, Comdisco will provide the following hot site platforms to drive the

dedicated disk solution:

 Three (3) Compaq ProLiant 5000-class servers each with 2 PentiumPro 200 MHz processors

and 256MB Memory.





High Tolerance Systems



Comdisco proposes using MCIís Frame Relay backup PVCs to provide for the recovery of DCH

remote offices. Comdisco has multiple T1.5 Frame Relay ports, via diverse MCI Central Offices,

to accommodate DCH backup PVCs. This can easily be achieved within the 24-48 hour RTO

DCH requires. The Comdisco/MCI backup PVC solution provides the cost-effectiveness DCH is

seeking as well as significantly exceeding DCHís RTO.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 20

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



Strengths of Strategy



 Comdisco has applied a proven mix of High Availability Services and traditional hot site

services with the creative use of technologies to provide a cost-effective, technologically-robust

solution which may accommodate growth and migration to emerging technologies while

meeting or exceeding DCHís RTO and RPO.



 The hot site component of the continuity plan augments the High Availability component and

addresses the mid and high tolerance areas as well as balances the financial component of the

solution.



Network Infrastructure Issues



The mission critical network connections are established. Cisco 7500 Class routers and Catalyst

Ethernet switches are utilized in the recovery configuration. In addition to the particular

environments above, DCH also indicated very specific network requirements, each of which

Comdisco is well positioned to meet. Some of these specific items are addressed elsewhere in this

RFP, however, for your convenience they are restated here.



 DCH currently has separate local loop carriers with roughly 50% of all T1 lines split between

the RBOC and CLEC.



For physical transport, CCSNET leverages fiber optic based SONET rings. We partner with

telecom providers (including RBOCs , Alternative Access Providers and CLECs) to establish these

networks. Each ring is designed in full path protect switching mode to provide the highest level of

diversity and redundancy. The DCH network solution will incorporate this SONET infrastructure,

including diverse network nodes to MCI and UUNet.



 MCI is the Frame Relay provider. Only remote DCH offices are connected via the Frame

Relay network.



Comdisco is well positioned to address the recovery of DCH remote offices via MCIís Frame Relay

backup PVCs. Comdisco has multiple T1.5 Frame Relay ports, via diverse MCI Central Offices, to

accommodate DCH backup PVCs. Specifically, each DCH production PVC will have a redirection

scenario in place between MCI and a Comdisco/MCI recovery Frame Relay Port ID. The

inherent flexibility of the design allows any remote router location to be designated for test,

wherein a predetermined reroute of this PVC is enacted at DCHís request.



 Payment providers and trading partners comprise a mixture of low-speed leased line

connections and dial out services. A total of 20 leased line connections are maintained. All are

using a standard ADC Kentrox DDS DSU/CSU.



Comdisco recommends a dial backup solution for the 20 leased line connections to DCH payment

providers and trading partners. Based on each individual line speed, a combination of analog dial

up and B-ISDN will be utilized. This solution provides DCH with the connectivity they require

during a disaster situation, but avoids the reoccurring monthly cost of leased lines.



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 21

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION





 Toll Free service is provided by MCI over a single T1



MCI will redirect 800 service to a Comdisco-provided MCI circuit ID. The actual redirection is

an arrangement made between MCI and DCH. MCI offers several levels of service offering for

service redirection. DCH should work with their MCI rep to choose the option that best addresses

their RTO.



 Network and Server Management: Once established, the DCH facilities within the recovery

site and the network connections supporting them should be under DCHís management

(assume SNMP management console).



Comdisco supports all customer network management protocols/tools. DCH will be able to fully

recreate their SNMP management console to support their test and recovery environment.





Technical Features

1. Describe your platform architecture. Is it functionally redundant? Is it site redundant?



Primary Hot Site Facility



Comdisco is proposing the New York Metro Recovery Facility (Carlstadt, NJ) as

the hot site facility. The platform architecture for DCHís solution at the New York

Metro Recovery Facility follows:



(1) Sun E10000

Multiple Sun UltraSPARC2

Multiple Compaq ProLiant 5000 Class servers

Multiple Cisco 7500 Class routers

Cisco Catalyst switches



The New York Metro Recovery Facility has redundancy. The facility is serviced by

(2) 750 KVA Liebert UPS Systems, each with battery backup. These UPS systems

are paralleled into a Liebert System Control Cabinet. In addition, this Facility is

serviced by dual grid primary power sources, and seven thousand (7,000) KW of

power is available through generators. The generators are continuous duty type

generators, and are rated to carry the full load of the recovery facility.



Standby Hot Site Facility



Comdisco is proposing the Chicago Metro Recovery Facility as the

alternate/standby hot site facility. The platform for this architecture follows:



DCH standby environment: (3) Sun E450 servers with associated disk

Compaq ProLiant 5000 Class servers

Cisco Catalyst switches



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 22

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION





Electrical power is supplied to the Chicago Metro Recovery Facility (located in

Wood Dale, Illinois) by Commonwealth Edison via dual building power feeds from

separate sub-stations. The sub-stations are located in Elk Grove and Itasca.



Redundancy in the Chicago Metro Recovery Facility is dual utility feeds, three (3)

750 KVA UPS and one (1) 1000 KVA UPS.



2. Provide in detail your platform resiliency (site hardening) structure (power, telco and

other environmental factors contributing to high availability).



Primary Hot Site Facility



The New York Metro Recovery Facility is a single story structure with a mezzanine.

The building is concrete block with steel frame construction. This facility is not

located within an earthquake zone, and was built to meet or exceed all design

standards for the geographical area in which it resides.



Telco ñ New York Metro

NEW YORK METRO SONET

ROCHELLE PARK CONFIGURATION





CARLSTADT









H

R

AT&T

U

CEDAR KNOLLS

I

D

V

S E

O R

N









HOLLAND

MCI TUNNEL

JOURNAL

SQUARE



NEWARK







NORTH

BERGEN







MC I







AT&T

MCI









Bell Atlantic's Rutherford Central Office is the serving wire center for the Comdisco

New York Metro Recovery Facility located in Carlstadt, New Jersey. This Central

Office is equipped with a #5 ESS End Office Switch for provisioning local exchange

telephone service. The facility’s PABX trunks and business lines used to support dial

backup connections are served via this End Office Switch.



Standard telephone company access for private line circuits is provided over a

combination of copper pairs and optical fiber. In addition to the availability of

standard telephone company access, Comdisco has provisioned multiple OC48



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 23

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



SONET rings and an OC12 SONET ring that connects the New York Metro Recovery

Facilities to several Bell Atlantic Central Offices and interexchange carrier POPs to

effect a high degree of diversity. These multiple OC48 and OC12 SONET rings

connect the Comdisco Recovery Facilities to the Bell Atlantic network infrastructure

via diverse entrance facilities. The SONET ring encompasses access to Bell Atlantic's

Central offices in Newark, Rochelle Park, Journal Square, and Cedar Knolls; to MCI

at West Orange; and to AT&T at Newark and Rochelle Park.



Also, Comdisco currently has in place two additional an OC12 SONET rings. One

that traverses Comdisco’s New York Metro Recovery Facilities and five NYNEX

Central Offices in New York City, NY, and another that traverses Comdisco’s New

York Metro Recovery Facilities and MFS Central Offices in downtown Manhattan,

including 60 Hudson Street, the major Telecommunications Hub of the northeast.



Comdisco provisions a full range of inter-exchange carrier services over CCSNET to

provide Local Loop Recovery Center Access at multiple points around these rings to

attain the highest level of diversity. This includes demand based and dedicated DS3

and DS1 services. These SONET rings also allow Comdisco the ability to provide

native speed LAN Connectivity between New Jersey Recovery Facilities, and allow

customers the ability to recover at any one of Comdisco’s Recovery Facilities, which

will support their subscriptions.



Comdisco also offers, on a shared or dedicated basis, ISDN-BRI, ISDN-PRI, SW56

and Switched T-1 and T-3 services, as well as 800 Services and dial tone from

alternate Central Offices.



Environmentals

The following equipment environmentally supports the New York Metro Recovery

Facility:



(2) Separate 13,200 volt 3500 AMP electrical feeds from each of two substations

of Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G)

(4) 2500 KVA external transformers

(3) Pillar Silent 75/60 MGís provide 415HZ power with paralleling units

(2) 750 Solid State UPS Systems

(2) 1500 KW Diesel Generators for facility power backup in the event that both

electrical feeds are down. There is a 10,000 gallon diesel fuel tank on site.



Dual electrical supply transfer switch (Powercon) transfers the buildingís electrical

load from one source to the other in the even of a substation failure, without

interrupt to the equipment in the Computer Control Center, work recovery center

and telephone room.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 24

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



In addition, the recovery facility includes:



(40) Liebert 22 ton System 1 dual compressor air conditioners/humidifiers (total

capacity 880 tons)

(2) Liebert triple module water chillers



Standby Hot Site Facility



The Chicago Metro Recovery Facility (located in Wood Dale, Illinois) is a steel and

concrete masonry structure with brick face construction. Internal walls are

constructed of metal studs and drywall. The Chicago Metro Recovery Facility is

not located in an earthquake zone, and has been built to meet or exceed all design

standards for the geographical area in which it resides.



Telco ñ Chicago Metro

Ameritech Ameritech Ameritech

Elk Grove Canal Street Wabash

OC48 OC48

FLM2400 FLM2400 FLM2400





FLM 150 FLM 150





AT&T

FLM 150

POP

O O

C C

4 4

8 COMDISCO OC48 SONET RING 8





OC48 OC48

FLM2400 FLM2400 FLM2400





FLM 150 FLM 150 FLM 150





AT&T MFS

FLM 150 FLM 150

POP



Comdisco Oak Brook MCI

Wood Downers Grove

Dale









OC3OC48.PRE DISK

11









Chicago Metro Recovery Facility SONET Access



The Ameritech Bensenville Central Office is the serving wire center for the Chicago

Metro Recovery Facility in Wood Dale. This Central Office is equipped with a #5

ESS End Office Switch for provisioning exchange telephone service. The Wood

Dale PABX trunks and business lines used to support dial back-up connections are

served via this End Office Switch.



Standard telephone company access for private line circuits is provided over a

combination of copper pairs and optical fiber. In addition to the availability of

standard telephone company access, Comdisco has provisioned two SONET rings

that connect Wood Dale to several carrier points and may be used for delivering

client circuits. Both SONET rings access and egress Wood Dale via separate

entrance facilities for diversity.





Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 25

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



An Ameritech OC48 SONET ring connects Wood Dale to several Ameritech

Central Offices, MCI POPS in Downers Grove and on Wabash Street, and AT&T

POPS on Canal Street and in Oak Brook. An MFS OC3 SONET ring connects to

the Ameritech OC48 SONET ring, and traverses certain MFS terminal locations,

Wood Dale, and the Comdisco Rosemont headquarters location to serve the

Rosemont WorkArea facility.



Other Interexchange Carriers can connect to the SONET rings either at the

Ameritech Wabash Central Office or MFS Prudential to deliver service to Wood

Dale and Rosemont.



Wood Dale obtains additional dial tone for diversity from a #1A ESS End Office

Switch at the Wabash Central Office. This dial tone is delivered via the Ameritech

OC48 SONET ring.



Comdisco subscribes to a full range of interexchange carrier services at multiple

points around the ring to attain the highest possible level of diversity. This includes

demand based and dedicated DS3 and DS1 services as well as dial tone from an

alternate Ameritech Central Office, noted above.



Environmentals

The Chicago Metro Recovery Facility is environmentally supported by the

following equipment:



(3) 12,000 volt underground feeds from Commonwealth Edison with

dual feeds from separate power grids on an Automatic Transfer

switch.

(4) 2500 KVA external transformers

277/480 - 600A feed to main switchboards

(4) Separate 1600A critical load switchboards

(8) Pillar Silent 75/60 MBís provide 400 HZ power with paralleling

units

(2) 250 KVA, 11 - 125 KVA, 3 - 100 KVA, 2 -75 KVA Liebert power

distribution centers

(1) 1000 KVA Solid State UPS

(3) 750 KVA Solid State UPS Systems

(10) Distribution panelboards



The UPS systems supports the computer room power, chiller pumps, and all

security and fire alarm systems.



3. How many simultaneous failures of a company DCHís size can you handle?



DCH can be assured that Comdisco takes our commitment to our customers to

manage the risk associated with multiple disasters very seriously. Comdisco grows





Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 26

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



the number and size of our facilities based on our customers and their growth

requirements.



Simultaneous disasters impact only the traditional hot site component of the

solution; high availability resources are dedicated to the exclusive use of DCH.



From a facility perspective, Comdisco facilities are designed to provide discrete and

secure access to multiple customers. Concurrent support at the facility is not the

constraint ñ the constraining aspects are Sun servers, Compaq servers and network

provisioning.



Comdisco could support three customers of DCHís technology profile

simultaneously at DCHís primary recovery facility (potentially more concurrently,

as we add technology capability at time of disaster).



Comdisco's recovery facilities are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for

testing or disaster recovery. Access to a Comdisco recovery facility is always done on

a first-come/first-served basis. No declaring customer can be pre-empted from their

assigned recovery facility by another declaring customer.



Comdisco has confirmed through its disaster recovery experience, that a "shared"

recovery approach can create additional risk. A "shared" recovery approach is

where more than one customer attempts use of a single recovery resource.



Comdisco's facilities allow multiple subscribers to use the same facility without

physically "sharing" space or processing capability. The facilities are sub-divided into

"recovery centers." These centers allow multiple subscribers to have access to

secured areas. These secured areas, or centers, are segregated from other

subscribers occupying the same facility.



A ìsharedî use of the resources DCH requires is not practical or feasible. Comdisco

provides DCH with exclusive use of the recovery capability.



Based on our experience with more than 300 recoveries including 20 multiple disaster

scenarios, our ìfirst come, first servedî access policy provides the best assurance that

the integrity of their recovery capability will be preserved.



With Comdisco, each subscriber knows their recovery status from the time they have

access to the recovery facility. Comdiscoís contract states that Comdisco will not

require any subscriber who has declared a disaster to share the backup capability

with any other subscriber. Once a subscriber declares and begins their recovery,

forced sharing will not compromise the recovery.



The alternate industry concept of forced sharing (i.e. including ìGuaranteed Accessî verbiage

in contracts) can be misleading, unrealistic, and has significant technical problems.





Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 27

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



Comdiscoís ability to create additional hot sites through the resources of our financial

management division enables us not to force our customers to share processing

capabilities at hot sites.



4. Specifically, and in detail, what differences in your service exist in the case of an

isolated catastrophe like a fire vs. a large-scale natural disaster, like an earthquake where

multiple customers are using your facilities simultaneously.



When a regional outage or other event occurs that could have an impact on more than

one customer, Comdisco responds as follows:



An operations "Command Center" is established at our Rosemont, Illinois

headquarters. From the Command Center, assessments of the situation are made on

an on-going basis. All Comdisco nationwide resources (hot sites, communications

and personnel) are put under the control of the Command Center. The Command

Center ensures that all resources are allocated on a "first come/first served" basis in

accordance with Comdisco's policy, and also ensures that every impacted customer

gets exactly what is in their subscription.



Comdisco surveys the impacted area(s) and places phone calls to all customers who

may be affected. The Disaster Avoidance technique is implemented at this time in an

attempt to help customers avoid placing a disaster declaration. The Command

Center may request a personal visit to those subscribers who cannot be reached by

telephone.



When a widespread outage occurs, the Command Center places Comdisco Technical

Services (CTS) on alert status. CTS' equipment inventory can be quick-shipped to a

clientís location to prevent a customer from declaring a disaster. CTS' equipment

can also be quick-shipped to the recovery facility for customer needs that had not

previously been anticipated. CTS also possesses a significant depth of technical

resources that are used to install, de-install and refurbish high tech equipment. All

these resources are made available to Comdisco and our customers on a priority basis

at time of disaster.



Utilizing our internal INFO-CCS data base, customer requirements are electronically

matched up to Comdiscoís capabilities in the various recovery facilities. If a

customer declares a disaster and their primary recovery facility is occupied,

Comdisco can automatically assign the customer to an alternate facility of similar

capability.



The Command Center's capabilities were implemented during the subterranean flood

in downtown Chicago. During this regional disaster, Comdisco supported 18 actual

customer declared disasters and 19 customer alerts. All 37 customers were mapped

into existing recovery facilities with capacity to spare.



For more information on the impact of multiple declarations, see question 3.



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 28

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION





5. As our platform grows and changes, what is your platform growth plan?



Comdisco invests significantly to ensure that customers have the technology

required as needs evolve. In the last two years, Comdisco has invested over $120

million in its business continuity services and technology. Understanding the

dynamic nature of our customersí processing environments, Comdisco provides the

needed flexibility to convert platforms, swap to new technologies, delete and add

components throughout the course of the contract term.



6. How long does it take to augment and expand your platform?



Depending upon the technology, Comdisco typically can provide and

non-disruptively install additional equipment for customers within 24 hours. For

permanent changes to any configuration, our policy is for a maximum of 120 days

from contract acceptance to implementation. This period enables us to assure the

impact of the change, ensures that any changes do not jeopardize the recoverability

of any existing customers, provide 60-day notice to all affected customers, and

remedy any problems.



Comdiscoís leasing division maintains a multi-billion dollar portfolio of high-tech

equipment. Technology that is difficult to come by, either because it is extremely

new or old, may be more difficult to acquire. This is another reason why

Comdisco recommends that customers use current and proven technology in the

recovery environment.



7. Please provide an overview of the process for the applying configuration changes to

network infrastructure i.e. router port-adds and server changes.



Comdiscoís network staff consists of many certified network disciplines, such as

Cisco Certified Engineers, Novell CNEs and VTAM/NCP specialists staff. Moves,

additions and changes to the recovery facility network infrastructure can be done

dynamically when necessary in a disaster mode. Specifically, when planned

upgrade/changes are made to existing hardware, Comdisco customers are notified

in writing of the enhancements. Whenever possible, ports are added to routers

and front end processors so as not to compromise the existing port addressing

schemes. Comdisco network staff provides assistance with respect to router

parameter configurations and FEP/NCP input addressing parameters.



8. Provide the flow of a disaster scenario from your notification of failure to site recovery.



Comdisco’s declaration methodology places the decision to declare entirely at the

customer's discretion (i.e., there is no time delay caused by physical verification by

Comdisco).







Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 29

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



Since Computer Recovery Facilities are a shared risk environment, Comdisco’s

declaration methodology also provides protection from "frivolous" declarations by

requiring a non-refundable notification fee (typically covered by insurance).



The customer determines who within their organization is authorized to place a

formal declaration with Comdisco. Comdisco will not accept a declaration from any

unauthorized individual.



Comdisco maintains an 800 number, which is staffed 24 hours per day/7 days per

week, solely for the purpose of accepting customer declared disasters.



In the event of a disaster, the following steps should be taken to notify Comdisco as

soon as possible.



a) Call the 24-hour Comdisco Hot line. (This hot line number is to be used for

disaster notification only. Personnel utilizing this number for other reasons

will be referred to the main Carlstadt, NJ number). The hot line personnel will

locate and notify the appropriate Comdisco personnel.



b) You will be asked for some initial information to allow Comdisco to begin the

Disaster Activation Process. The Comdisco Disaster Notification Log,

provided in the customerís Recovery Support Manual follows this procedure

and is the initial data log that Comdisco uses when responding to a disaster

declaration or alert. Please have this information ready when you call.



c) If for any reason you cannot reach the Comdisco hot line, you may contact your

primary Comdisco recovery facility using the phone numbers listed in the

Recovery Support Manual.



d) The appropriate Comdisco personnel will return the call to secure the final

authorization and to confirm that a disaster actually exists.



e) Upon final authorization and confirmation, the Comdisco Recovery Facility

Director will request your company's authorization code, which should be

maintained by everyone in your organization who has been authorized to

declare a disaster. A Disaster Declaration Authorization form can be found in

the Recovery Support Manual. This form should be completed with the names

of those individuals in your company who are authorized to declare a disaster.

This list should be updated and forwarded to your recovery facility as required.



f) If all authorizations are correct, you and the Comdisco Recovery Facility

Director will activate your Recovery Checklist, a copy of which is in the

Recovery Support Manual. This checklist will help to identify those tasks that

you would like Comdisco to perform to assist in your disaster recovery effort.







Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 30

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



g) The Comdisco Recovery Facility Director, in conjunction with your

representative, will review a series of questions concerning your recovery plans

to ensure those resources, supplies and services will be made available for your

use during the recovery process.



h) Immediately upon notification of your disaster, the Comdisco Recovery Facility

Director will begin preparation for your arrival at the facility.



i) Upon your arrival at the recovery facility, Comdisco Management will acquaint

your personnel with the facility/Command and Control Center (CCC) and

appropriate procedures for its use.



j) In the event that your management desires to set up a Command and Control

Center in the recovery facility area, Comdisco management will obtain space, as

requested. This space may be in Comdisco facilities or may be in offices or

hotels in the area immediately surrounding the Comdisco facility.



9. Describe your method for managing service impacting events from start to finish.



Service Level Management is a concern for all of our High Availability Services

customers. Our experience has proven that the best approach is to be proactive

based upon a set of procedures defined in the SLD. We will work with your staff

to define one required response and level of involvement for any anticipated events.

Further event specific examples can be provided upon request.



10. Describe your method for managing traffic spikes (what facilities are shared, and how

will you deal with DCHís traffic spikes on such shared facilities)?



The Comdisco/DCH network recovery solution is designed to accommodate

high-water mark network bandwidth requirements, well within network spikes

typical of DCHís production environment. Frame Relay PVCs are sized based on

production environments, with physical bandwidth provided in T1 increments.

Essentially, DCHís production network is re-routed to Comdisco SONET access

points for diverse entrances to Comdisco Recovery Facilities. Multiple customers

may subscribe to a capability, (i.e. Frame Relay Port, on demand T1, etc.), however,

for testing and in a disaster mode, these ìsharedî capabilities ìdedicatedî to a

specific customer. Frame Relay physical T1 ports can ìspikeî to the physical T1

bandwidth limit with no effect on another customer.



11. Describe your traffic monitoring process. What tools are used to perform this function?



During customer tests and in recovery mode, Comdiscoís network staff utilizes

network test equipment including TTC Firebird 6000s, T-Bird 211s (DS1), TTC 500

(Frame Relay, ISDN, LAN/WAN sniffer), LAN Pharaoh Sniffers, Bradley analog

analyzers, and Atlantic Research Data scopes to insure circuit integrity and to

facilitate trouble shooting.



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 31

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION





The CCSNET Command Center located in Chicago Metro Recovery Facility (Wood

Dale, IL) is a central management point for the CCSNET Disaster Recovery

Network. Comdisco Network personnel performs circuit re-routes, moves, adds,

and changes via Comdiscoís automated GUI driven command center

infrastructure, which utilizes inherent automated alert/fix/re-route capabilities, and

is staffed 24 x 7 x 365.



12. Describe your trouble reporting process. Do you have a centralized trouble ticket

system?



Comdiscoís Network Management Center (NMC) and contracted vendors (e.g.,

Ameritech, WorldCom, Bell Atlantic) monitor the SONET rings. The NMC

monitors all circuits that ride over SONET. Customer circuits are handled locally

by Comdisco and customers. Contracts are in place to monitor local assess. If a

problem arises, Comdiscoís network experts resolve the issue or contact the

external vendors (MCI, Bell Atlantic, etc.) to work through the problem/identify

options.



13. Describe your trouble escalation process. How do typical customers escalate issues

within your organization?



 Account Support Management Program: Every customer is assigned a personal

Account Support Manager based on requirements and preferences. Account

Support Representatives report to the facility Account Support Manager. This

individual is responsible for customer satisfaction levels, acts as the primary

operational contact, is the Test Life Cycle Coordinator, is the first level of

escalation in the event of test/support/recovery issues, and works in conjunction

with the Regional Sales Manager.



 Customer satisfaction issues requiring further action are escalated to the Vice

President of Customer Service and/or his group in North American Customer

Service. This group is responsible for satisfaction levels, the integration of

support structures with product design issues and development/enhancing of all

customer service programs.



 Technical Operations Management: In an effort to ensure uniformity in service

delivery throughout all Comdisco facilities, each technical discipline is directed

by a ìtechnical manager.î In all cases of escalation, the discipline manager and

Account Support Manager are first-level notification. Like all operations

support personnel, the management team carry pagers and are available 24

hours a day, 7 days a week.



 National Facilities Manager: A National Facilities Manager is responsible for

all security, equipment maintenance, building maintenance and environmental





Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 32

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



building features. Facility issues unable to be addressed at the recovery-center

level are escalated to the National Manager.



 Senior Operations Management: Critical, time-sensitive customer issues are

escalated from the Account Support Manager who, if necessary, can escalate

the issue to the Recovery Center Director and to the Senior Vice President of

Operations located in Comdisco headquarters. This individual has hands-on

operations management and reports directly to the General Manager of

Comdisco Continuity Services.



14. What level of expertise do your technicians have?



The average work experience of the Comdisco support personnel from a disaster

recovery industry basis is five (5) years and from a data processing industry basis is

twelve (12) years. Our technicians have expertise in operating systems software,

hardware, data recovery tools, and networks, both LANs and WANs.



15. How are maintenance activities reported to customers. Please provide minimal advance

notice requirements.



Maintenance ñ Environmental

Comdisco has maintenance agreements with authorized vendors for the

environmental support equipment. These maintenance agreements include 24-hour

support. In addition, Comdisco maintains a staff of engineers working staggered

shifts to provide on-site coverage. The engineers primarily focus on maintenance of

surveillance equipment, security, HVAC, and electric-mechanical equipment. The

engineers also respond to plumbing problems, door hardware, carpentry needs, and

other minor facility repairs.



The Recovery Facilities, which contains UPS systems, are checked daily.

Performance maintenance checks are conducted quarterly, with annual service

performed by the original equipment manufacturer. Diesel generators are checked

on a monthly basis.



Maintenance ñ Hardware

Comdisco contractually agrees to adhere to the manufacturer's recommended policies

and procedures for proper maintenance.



Due to the nature of our business, Comdisco routinely performs preventative

maintenance on all equipment whenever the hot site is not being utilized for testing or

disaster recovery support. In addition, 1 day per month is scheduled for

preventative maintenance on all equipment.



Comdisco Customer Engineers (CEs) who are IBM certified perform preventative

maintenance for all IBM equipment. Comdisco CEs are on-site during prime shift

hours, and on-site during disaster recovery for 12 hours per day. During testing,



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 33

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION



CEs provide a maximum 2-hour response time, with 1-hour response time during

disaster recovery. In the event that a minor hardware problem occurs while the CE

is on site, the CE will continue on site until the problem is resolved, at no additional

expense to the customer.



The hardware vendor or a vendor-acceptable maintenance firm performs Non-IBM

equipment preventative maintenance. Maintenance contracts with vendors are on a

five day, 8 hour basis. Maintenance outside of these hours is available, and in the

event of a disaster, will become compatible with your needs.



Comdisco incurs the cost for emergency hardware maintenance. Contingency

stand-by maintenance is available, and will be billed to the customer at a rate of cost

plus ten percent (10%).



16. Is there a test environment utilized to test new products and applications? Please

describe its functional capacity.



Comdisco can designate recovery resources to, along with our customers or alliance

partners, test the viability of a solution. This proof-of-concept testing can be

conducted for custom-recovery requirements, testing on new products and testing

of outside vendorsí products for use in the recovery environment.



17. Describe your development testing process, including all applicable phases such as

regression testing.



Regression/development testing is not appropriate for delivery of these services.



18. Please provide customer testimonials.



See Appendix



19. How many technicians do you staff?



Comdisco employs approximately 320 technical / operations staff.



20. Describe real-time trouble/traffic management tools (alarms etc.) utilized.



Comdisco uses IMS database built on a Microsoft Access platform. Other

monitoring/management described in question 12.





End of Section









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 34

SECTION 5



SOLUTION SUMMARY



In todayís business environment, traditional recovery programs often donít achieve the Recovery

Time (RTO) and Point Objectives (RPO) companies realistically require. Meeting short RTOs

and near-immediate RPOs is vital to DCHís operations.



As the leading provider of business continuity services, Comdisco was the first to develop and

implement high availability solutions. Over the last decade, Comdisco has utilized these advanced

technologies and processes to enable companies to reduce the time to restore systems and eliminate

lost transaction exposure. Comdisco also delivers crucial recovery solutions for organizations that

rely on the Internet for eCommerce/revenue-generating and customer-support activities.

Strategic to our services is CCSNET, Comdiscoís SONET-based network that interconnects

Comdiscoís facilities and is devoted exclusively to business continuity.



Based on this foundation, Comdisco proposes a solution that ensures availability and integrity of

each of DCHís environments.



For the most critical applications, Comdisco recommends a two-part strategy. First, relocating

DCHís standby systems to our Chicago Metro Recovery Facility ensures that in a localized disaster

DCH has access to its standby systems. Second, replicate and transmit file systems and data to the

High Availability Services area of Comdiscoís New York Metro Recovery Facility. Here, a Sun

E450 manages the data in real-time, and an EMC Symmetrix Array provides mirroring of critical

information so DCH can conduct non-disruptive tests. Multiple pre-configured boot drives, ready

to accept updates of operating system or application changes, will meet the low data recovery time

requirements. Additionally, a dedicated disk drive will be provided for DCHís IVR, and dial

backup solutions will be provided for communications recovery with payment providers and

trading partners. Internet traffic is redirected via UUNet and MCI using BGP4.



For DCHís mid-critical systems, Comdisco recommends a hybrid hot-site approach. This

combines daily electronic transmission of incremental data changes to Comdiscoís New York

Metro facility. To ensure 4-hour recovery, dedicated disk will be pre-configured from full

backup, thereby only incremental changes need be applied. For DCHís high tolerance network

connections, we recommend MCIís Frame Relay backup PVCs.



Comdisco has applied proven services, plus creative use of technologies, providing a cost-effective,

technologically-robust solution. This accommodates growth and migration to emerging

technologies while meeting or exceeding the design criteria.



Benefits of this approach include:



 Pre-configured boot drives are a cost-effective use of simple components to facilitate replication

on a smaller computing platform, transitioning to a larger configuration for actual recovery.







Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 35

SOLUTION SUMMARY



 EMC Mirrored Disk with BCVs (Business Continuance Volumes) offers non-disruptive testing.

The production environment is preserved, the standby systems continue to provide data loss

protection and the back-up capability remains synchronized with the standby systems even

during testing.



 The standby environment remains functional in a disaster, preserving DCHís operations

standards for data protection and providing a smooth transition back home.



 The hot site component augments the High Availability component, addressing mid- and

high-tolerance areas while balancing the financial component of the solution.



Comdiscoís solution is technologically innovative and is proven. Comdisco has significant

experience implementing all aspects of this solution for other customers. Comdisco delivers the

cost-effective, secure solution that meets or exceeds DCHís objectives for data availability and

integrity of its operations in a recovery scenario.





End of Section









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 36

SECTION 6



SOLUTION NETWORK MAP



The network map is being provided as a separate document.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 37

SECTION 7



PRODUCT FEATURES CHECKLIST



Services Checklist



High Availability Services

 Transaction protection and data shadowing using Oracle Replicate

 Electronic Vaulting

 Standby systems (boot drives)



Disaster Recovery Services

 Sun E10000 ìhot siteî

 NT Server ìhot siteî

 Remote access

 Switched network services

 Dynamic PVC redirect



Validation Services

 Turnkey support

 Data validation services





Strategic Support Services



Because this business continuity effort is crucial to the success of DCH, Comdisco has included a

specific level of consulting support in this bid. Comdisco will provide the following services to

ensure the success of this project:



 Development of a Detailed Implementation Workplan and Project Plan, this will include

estimated effort on the part of DCH

 Implementation assistance for the Windows NT ñ Oracle Replicate environment.

 Vendor coordination for the high availability network

 Initial plan development assistance to provide detailed recovery and cutover scripts for:

-- Windows NT ñ Oracle Replicate

-- Web Server

-- Database and Application Servers

-- 800 Number and IVR System

 Change Management Approach to keep the recovery capability up-to-date and integrated

into the day-to-day activities of DCH

 Testing Procedures and Approach to:

-- initially validate the recovery capability

-- ensure a specific level of recoverability (e.g. RTO)

 Bi-Monthly Status Report on:

-- Progress on Project



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 39

PRODUCT FEATURES CHECKLIST



-- Risk Coverage

-- Overall Recoverability and Timeline

 Training and Awareness on the New Business Continuity Capability



Deliverables include:

 Detailed workplan and implementation plan

 Recovery scripts for

-- Windows NT ñ Oracle Replicate

-- Web Server

-- Database and Application Servers

-- 800 Number and IVR System

-- testing procedures

-- change management approach



This solution will enable DCH to:

a. Focus DCH skilled resources (e.g. network, distributed systems) on other, more critical

day-to-day activities

b. Validate and regularly test the capability to ensure the highest availability

c. Effectively communicate its recovery capability, risk coverage and recovery timeline to

customers, management and other business partners





A major goal is to reduce the amount of effort DCH personnel must exert on business continuity

related efforts. Our methodology provides the basis for a consistent delivery approach, and

allows the project team to focus on the unique characteristics of DCH. An overview of this

methodology is described below in Figure 1. Behind this high-level methodology is the ability to

generated detailed activity-level workplans which include tools and sample deliverables for each

activity in the methodology.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 40

PRODUCT FEATURES CHECKLIST



Analyze Review Alternatives

Vulnerabilities



Analyze Recovery Identify

Benchmark Define

Current Business Data Recovery

Requirements

Situation Needs Strategies

Availability

Review

Related

Programs





Physical

Infrastructure Develop Test

Program Implement

Implement Business Continuous

Strategy Process Plan and Improvement

Perform Tests

Technology

Infrastructure

Assess

Implement

Manage

Figure 1 - Continuity Consulting Methodology



Our experience with over 35,000 tests and over 300 actual disaster recoveries is unparalleled. We

have experience with the major technologies (e.g. Windows NT, major Unix varieties, and

mainframe environments) and major business processes within most industries. Weíll use this

experience to staff the DCH project with the appropriate resources and necessary skills. This

staffís experience includes work with institutional banks, securities trading firms, brokerages,

exchanges, trust and clearing firms and mutual fund companies.



We have participated in the design, planning and implementation of traditional, hybrid (i.e.

multi-vendor), and advanced (i.e. high-availability) recovery strategies. We consider ourselves the

technology integrators when it comes to implementing a recovery solution and can leverage our

staff along with DCH and, as appropriate, numerous alliance partners to implement the best total

solution for DCHís technology and business environment. Our goal for any recovery strategy is

not to recover a specific platform or application, but instead to recover all necessary physical and

technical components required to run the business; something we call the flow of information.



Lastly, it is important for all customers, project members and vendors to be on ìthe same pageî and

speaking the same language during critical business continuity related projects. It is for that

reason weíve devised several tools and approaches that allow us to work at the detail level, yet

report information at a higher-level. This approach enables us to focus on the overall mission of

the effort, make better decisions, and drill-down on the detail when necessary. An example of a

quick status report is provided below.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 41

PRODUCT FEATURES CHECKLIST



Mission Statement: To implement a high Overall Project Plan

availability recovery solution for the DC1, DC2 and

DC3 data centers. Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Project Planning Complete

Key Milestone: To have the mirroring solution Proof-of-concept Testing To-be-completed

implemented and Tier 1 applications certified with Solution Implementation

regulators by X-X-98. Certification Testing

User-Acceptance Testing

Current Status: Project currently on target for full Refine/Update Solution Ongoing Activities

implementation of the data centers by

X-X-98.

TargetComp.

Program Management Status

Major Accomplishments: complete complete 01/98 01/98 07/98 ongoing

 Cust. educated on disaster recovery. partial

Mainframe

 Proof-of-concept testing complete.

Network

 EMC mirroring solution recommended.

 Cust. to rec. site Mid-Range

 Other site under study

Business Recovery Strategy Strategy Recovery Testing Change

 Data circuits on order. Needs Require. Defined Implem. Procedures Admin.

Defined Dev.





Complete

In-Progress

To be completed



Figure 2 - Management Reporting Example





Comdisco Service Excellence



With thousands of customers around the globe and todayís wide choice of information technology,

it would be surprising to find any two Comdisco Continuity Services customers who are identical.

In todayís environment, our customers are faced with complicated hardware configurations, an

ever increasing array of software choices, increases in network speed and complexity, and

relentless end user demands for service.



Comdiscoís Service Excellence program provides the foundation for us to provide the level and

type of services our customers need to meet their unique needs. This service is based on a

customer's "Bill of Rights" to receive certain services. All Comdisco customers are entitled to the

following services:



 Prompt response to all inquiries.

 Clean and organized facilities.

 Courteous and qualified professional support from Comdisco personnel.

 A comprehensive range of technical solutions.

 Prepared test sites as prearranged with agreed upon documentation.

 Access to all available Comdisco technical resources.

 Prompt escalation of issues to the appropriate personnel.

 Validation of recovery capabilities.

 Around the clock disaster hotline support.

 The Best Total Solution.



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 42

PRODUCT FEATURES CHECKLIST





The first step in the Service Excellence program is to listen to our customers. A Comdisco

Account Support Representative interviews new customers to gain an understanding of their

service needs. The interview process allows each customer to elect the support services which are

important to them. As a result of the interview, a Support Profile is developed and communicated

to all Comdisco staff involved with that customer, including the account support staff and test

support personnel. It also is integrated into the appropriate processes and procedures to ensure

customers receive the services they seek.



Formal feedback mechanisms, in the form of surveys, are built into the Support Profile to enable

Comdisco to measure each customerís satisfaction with our service. A survey will be done

annually, or more frequently if a customer chooses.



As a result of combining the key elements -- listening, communicating, and receiving feedback --

Comdisco can provide each customer with unparalleled service to support their enterprise-wide

business continuity needs.





End of Section









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 43

SECTION 8



COST & COST JUSTIFICATION



Services One-Time Fees

Implementation Fees (one-time) $250,000

Includes:

 Acquisition and installation of equipment

 Migration and set up of systems and data

 Development of SLDs and procedures

 Network installation





Total One-Time Fees $250,000



Services 36-month pricing/

Monthly charges

Network Bandwidth to support: $20,750

 Oracle Replicate data

 Electronic vaulting data



Notes: Customer is responsible for connectivity to CCSNET

Includes network monitoring

Assumes 2:1 compression ratio

Includes projected growth

Accommodates peak transmission times

Includes prime-time pricing premium



Hot-Standby Management Services provided in Chicago Metro Facility 7,000



Notes: Customer to provide all equipment and software (DS3 interface

cards are required)

Includes environmental costs



Hot-Site in New York Metro Facility 8,650

Includes:

 (1) Sun E10000 with 3 domains

 (2) Sun SPARCUltra2 for firewall support

 (3) Compaq ProLiant NT servers

 (2) Cisco 7000 routers

 (2) Cisco Ethernet switches

 (2) MCI Frame Relay backup ports

 (2) Internet T1 access ports

 (1) 800# IVR T1 access port

 SCSI extension/switching as required



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 45

COST & COST JUSTIFICATION



 Remote control option



Notes: Customer to provide all software

Customer is provided with 144 hours of test time over three years

to meet planned testing program



High Availability Services in New York Metro Facility 9,970

Includes Comdisco provided equipment:

 (1) Sun E450

 (1) EMC Symmetrix Array with BCVs

 EMC software

 (1) Cisco 4500

 (1) Ethernet hub

 (5) 9GB boot drives

 (1) 4GB IVR drive

 (3) Disk subsystems

 (10) 9.1GB disk drives

 Maintenance for all Comdisco provided equipment



Notes: Customer to provide all software

All equipment may be provided in equivalent units

Equipment is guaranteed but may not be dedicated to DCH

Includes all environmental costs

Includes all infrastructure connectivity

Assumes modest growth



Electronic Vaulting Services (for NT Servers) 5,700



Notes: Assumes full management of 76GB with medium to low update

activity and limited growth



Validation Support and Data Management Services 11,900



Notes: Includes periodic backups and refresh

Assumes regular synchronization of data





Total Monthly Fees $63,970





End of Section









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 46

SECTION 9



IMPLEMENTATION & TEST PLAN



Implementation



To implement the proposed recovery solution will take approximately 90-120 days. However,

because DCH currently is working with no recovery program in place, we believe itís imperative

for the company to move to a recovery solution as quickly as possible. Therefore, during that time

when the solution is being implemented, Comdisco recommends undertaking the following

activities:



 Conduct customer orientation

 Test using emulation data

 Data Synchronization

 Test network connectivity



In parallel, Comdisco will performs the following:



 Place equipment order

 Confirm equipment order with DCH

 Install equipment

 Load software and data with DCH assistance

 Validate High Availability Solutions





Test Plan



First Year Test Scenario



First Year Testing Timeline:



Within the first 30 days

 Schedule the first test

 Conduct orientation

 Prepare for first test



Within 30 to 60 days

 Conduct first test

System restoration

Data base synchronization

Network connectivity

 Schedule second test



Within 60 to 90 days



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 47

IMPLEMENTATION & TEST PLAN



 Debrief on first test

 Review and fix documentation

 Prep for second test

 Preliminary implementation of Mission Critical Transaction Protection



Within 90 to 120 days

 Conduct second test

Objectives:

 Using first test objectives

 Involving end-users departments as applicable

 Train Comdisco personnel

 Debrief on second test

 Transaction Protection Validation

 Schedule third test



120-180 days

 Use Transaction Protection Data (no end-users)

 Monitor Comdisco Personnel

 Debrief (Review documentation)

 Schedule fourth test



180-360 Days

 Prep for fourth test

 Support Comdisco personnel during test

 Test

Data base synchronization

System recovery

End-user involvement



Comdisco uses a Test Life Cycle approach to ensure DCH will get maximum benefit from its testing.

This approach is documented below:



TIMEFRAME SUPPORT PROVIDED

Scheduling of Customer schedules a test according to Comdisco Test Time Policy and the

the test confirmation letter is forwarded.

60 days prior to Test coordinator and team is assigned and the Customer Assistance Package is

the test prepared. The Test Coordinator calls the customer to confirm the test date,

initiate the TLC process and review the activities to take place before the test.

These activities become the basis for the Test Preparation Plan.



The package contains:



- Appropriate Test Time Questionnaire (TTQ)

- Device addresses (CCR+)



Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 48

IMPLEMENTATION & TEST PLAN



TIMEFRAME SUPPORT PROVIDED

- CPU, CPU ID, storage allocation

- Peripheral and FEP configurations

- Software levels

- Customer Control Center (CCC) layout

- Copy of last test follow-up letter with a status of outstanding issues

50 days prior to Test Coordinator sends out the Customer Assistance Package and copies the test

the test team.

35 days prior to Test Coordinator calls the customer to confirm receipt and to review the

the test Customer Assistance Package, outstanding issues list, customer's requirements

and any customer concerns.



Results of this call are documented to the other test team members.

28 days prior to Receive the customer's TTQ and review with the test team. Identify and

the test follow-up on areas of concern with individual technical calls, reflecting these

activities in the Test Preparation Plan. Results are documented to the Test

Coordinator and other team members.



TTQ reviewed by Comdisco Recovery Facility Management Team and concerns

passed along to the Test Coordinator.

27 days prior to If TTQ not received, Test Coordinator contacts the Customer by telephone to

the test start the follow-up process.

21 days prior to The Test Coordinator schedules the pre-test conference call.

the test

14 days prior to Execute the pre-test conference call reviewing:

the test

- All issues from the last test

- Results of individual calls that have taken place

- Test Preparation Plan

- Confirm all aspects of the test for the final time



Documents the results.



At least one Manager will be present during Conference Calls where difficulties

of issues need to be resolved. The Manager provides support to enforce

Comdisco policies and procedures.

7 days prior to The Recovery Facility Management Team's final review of test preparation to

the test ensure that all issues are properly addressed.

1 hour prior to Test setup and automated setup report preparation for customer review.

the test





Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 49

IMPLEMENTATION & TEST PLAN



TIMEFRAME SUPPORT PROVIDED





THE TEST Formal Turnover of the Facilities and resources to the customer confirming

proper setup according to the Test Preparation Plan.



Test coverage by Operations Software and Telecommunications Departments.

Management visits customer's CCC; escalation and resolution of problems. Duty

Manager coverage on off-shift. Documentation of event and issues are recorded

via the Operations Analyst's online log notes.



Customer completion of the Audit Form and documentation of preliminary list

of outstanding issues.



Test Coordinator debriefs corporate Customer Service Representative on the

results of the test.



Within seven Customer Service Representative calls the customer to review the outcome of the

days after test test and relate Comdisco’s perception of the outstanding issues.



All summary information is documented and copied to the field Customer

Service group. Pertinent documentation is included in the customer binder.



A follow-up letter is prepared identifying all outstanding issues, resolution action

plans and related responsibilities.

Within 28 days The corporate Customer Service Representative calls to ensure receipt of the

after test letter and satisfaction with the test experience.



Continuing customer contact to ensure that issues are resolved to the customer's

satisfaction.



COMDISCO TESTING LIFE CYCLE SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Test Planning Program: With the assignment of a Test Coordinator and a Test

Team, Comdisco emphasizes the importance of proper

test preparation. The Coordinator is responsible for all

the technical and logistical aspects of a test and for

reflecting the activities required in a Test Preparation

Plan. All activities, responsibilities and completion dates

are recorded and reviewed at appropriate stages in the

preparation process.

Management Review Program: This review process ensures that the TLC activities are

completed properly and in a timely manner. Where

required, management participation will be initiated to





Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 50

IMPLEMENTATION & TEST PLAN



resolve outstanding issues and concerns.

Duty Manager Program: The assignment of a duty manager ensures a management

focus on customer testing all times. Assigned from the

senior members of the Recovery Facility's staff, these

representatives are responsible for bringing a Comdisco

management perspective to the resolution of problems in

a real-time environment. They are empowered to involve

those resources which are reasonably required to assist in

the resolution of customer testing issues.





End of Section









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 51

SECTION 10



APPENDIX





The following documents have been included in support of our Response to this Request for Proposal:



a) Customer References



b) Customer Testimonials



c) Additional Comdisco Services









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 53

APPENDIX





Customer References



Charles Schwab & Co.

Tonya York, CDRP

Director, Business Resumption Services

101 Montgomery Street

San Francisco, CA 94104

415-627-7574



Options Clearing Corporation

Len Neuzil

First Vice President, Information Processing

440 S. LaSalle St.

Chicago, IL 60605

312-322-2010









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



Response to Network Computing Request for Proposal Page 54

APPENDIX





Customer Testimonials



Fiduciary Trust Testimonial



ìWhen we evaluated our World Trade Center offices after the bombing, we knew we had to

get our computer capabilities up and running to service our clients. Thanks to Comdisco,

we were able to recover critical functions, in effect, moving an entire workforce:

computers, people, habits, wastebaskets ñ the works ñ to new quarters, overnight.



Comdisco worked through the night with us to recreate our worldwide business ñ setting

up workstations, multiple LANs, voice services and outside connections with the Federal

Reserve. We were even able to handle 7,500 calls the first business day after the blast.



The logistics of moving 500 people and their office environments in a day or two is just

incredible, but Comdisco helped us be prepared as possible. We truly worked with, not

just at, Comdisco.



Our customers were amazed and gratified that we were able to recreate the business to

meet their needs first thing Monday morning. Our seamless recovery also helped us land

several clients we had been pursuing ñ and we didnít lose a single one. Comdisco helped

us turn disaster into a competitive advantage.î



-- Lawrence Huntington, Chairman, Fiduciary Trust International





Charles Schwab & Co. Testimonial



ìAll organizations rely on technology for everyday business operations. Comdisco provides

these organizations with a competitive edge to assist them in remaining operational even

under adverse conditions. Comdiscoís operations staff who have supported nearly 300

recoveries and 32,000 recovery plan tests, are the most experienced and professional in the

industry. They always put the needs of customers first, and are receptive and flexible to

changes, even those made on the fly.



ÖThe company goes far beyond technology to understand the business needs of my

company, the personal and comfort needs of my workforce in a testing or recovery

scenario, and my ongoing continuity needs, stressing prevention, protection, and planning.



Comdisco urges customers to look at their potential exposures throughout an

organizationís enterprise. Theyíve been there, shoulder-to-shoulder with me and most of

their customers, from my board room here at Charles Schwab & Co. to demonstrate

return on investment to executive management; to the ëwar roomí during a recovery, for

status and progress reports, and to ensure we meet our RPO and RTOs.







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APPENDIX



Their consulting staff offers strategic resources such as impact and vulnerability analysis,

plan building, has an impressive array of software tools based on their methodologies, and

even offers complete program management services. No matter where an organization is

with its continuity program, all companies can utilize the metrics and measurement

systems Comdisco has devised -- who isnít asked to prove the bottom line value of business

continuity?



Comdisco works closely with each of its customers to help them maximize the business

benefits of technology. This often involves more than ìtraditionalî business continuity. One

of Comdiscoís strengths is its understanding of asset management. Knowing the location

and disposition of an organizationís desktop assets is an important aspect of business

continuity. If fire or an equally devastating event prohibited access to or destroyed a

building, how could you replace your assets if you donít know what they were, where they

were, how they were used, or what software resided on them?



Additionally, Comdisco has long been a proponent of the importance of networks in

business continuity. Having their own SONET-based network is a tremendous boon to our

recovery efforts. Network protection and continuity plans go hand in hand with enterprise

recovery, something Comdisco has stressed since the 80s.



One of the measures of an excellent organization is in how it furthers the industry through

innovation. Comdiscoís pioneering spirit in its contributions to the industry are great in

number and weighty in impact. Here are some of the industry firsts that Comdisco ushered

in:



 Electronic vaulting (1988)

 A complete line of in-house consulting services

 WorkArea Recovery Solutions

 CDRS Net (now CCSNET) a private, high-speed telecomm network for recovery (1989)

 VSAT satellite communications capabilities

 Dedicated recovery capabilities in Canada, Europe, Singapore and Malaysia

 Remote testing (1987)

 LAN recovery (1987)

 Voice recovery capabilities

 Vulnerability Index - Bi-annual, in-depth research commissioned by Comdisco

 Item processing/check sorting recovery services

 Mobile Recovery - Comdisco Mobile Operations Recovery Center (1988)

 Year 2000 testing services

 Self-contained mobile recovery with up to 10,000 sq. ft. of continuous floor space



Comdisco has a passion for this business. They actively participate in testing and trials with

alliance partners to make recovery better, faster. Examples include trialing AT&Tís ATM

closed-loop congestion management system, testing Ciscoís Channel Interface Processor,

and benchmarking EMCís Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF). In 1994, Comdisco

announced its ëProject 2000,í representing $300 million in investments through year 2000





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APPENDIX



to serve its customersí evolving business continuity needs across all platforms. Their annual

ìSolutionsî technology conference is unique within the industry. All of this points to both

Comdiscoís leadership and its commitment to its customers.



Disasters happen. Theyíve happened in my organization. So I speak from experience when

I tell you that Comdiscoís technical experts really understand each customerís unique

requirements and quirks, and there are never any surprises. The level of support in a

disaster recovery is stellar. Comdisco is a first-class organization and an industry-leader.î



-- Tonya York, Director, Business Resumption Services, Charles Schwab & Co.









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APPENDIX





Comdisco Services Overview



Comdisco has been recognized as a leading technology services company -- the

worldís seventh largest, according to Computer Business Review. In addition to

business continuity services, Comdiscoís diversified technology solutions includes

leasing; remarketing; networking solutions and asset management services. Our

manufacturer independence, broad experience and flexible solutions differentiate us from

other technology service providers.



Leasing



As the worldís largest independent lessor of information technology products, Comdisco

brings diversity of technology, flexible lease terms and conditions, and innovative financing

options to clients, while maintaining manufacturer, vendor, and channel independence.

This means that Comdisco is always working on behalf of its clients to present and offer the

best choices, regardless of the provider, something captive lessors (manufacturer or

channel ownership tie-ins) can not always accommodate, due to their allegiance to their

parent companies or business partners.



Remarketing



Comdisco is the worldís largest independent remarketer of diversified technology products.

We have the experience and track record in remarketing technology, and can offer our

clients a partnership where we can provide you with technology for your stated useful-life

periods; then take it back and remarket it while it still has residual market value. This

practical core competency is critical to our mutual ability to get you into and out of

technology at the right time and right price.



Asset Management



Comdisco is proud of the reputation we have achieved in the field of Asset Management.

We are one of the only providers to meet all fundamental requirements of a truly

customer-focused Asset Management Program. In fact, the Gartner Group has recently

rated Comdisco as an industry leader in the ìability to executeî Integrated Asset Management

Services and Technology. Comdisco has provided Asset Management services to more

than 100 customers. We provide a full portfolio of the services necessary for world-class

Asset Management. Through our experience with this extensive customer base and our

unique position in the technology financing market place, we are poised to provide a

customized asset management solution.



Managed Network Services



Todayís IT professionals have three basic options in deciding how to handle networking

services. By keeping everything in-house, or by managing multiple vendors, youíll be



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APPENDIX



highly involved in the networking process, but your focus on strategic control may be

lessened as you are occupied with day-to-day network activities. If you outsource, you will

not need to be highly involved in the process, but you will essentially be giving up overall

strategic control. Comdisco Managed Network Services allows you the flexibility to have

as much involvement in the process as your wish, while enhancing your strategic control

through superior documentation of network usage, performance, and configuration.



Comdiscoís Managed Network Services combines hardware and software,

telecommunications data circuits, and professional management services into a single

solution that increases flexibility, optimizes performance, and helps you manage your total

cost of network ownership. The flexibility of this approach allows us to tailor our

solutions to help you achieve your specific networking objectives while managing your total

cost of network ownership.









Comdisco Continuity Services, a division of Comdisco, Inc. July 27, 1998



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