Suite 508
301 North Lamar Street
Jackson, MS 39201-1495
Phone: 601-359-1395
David L. Litchliter, Executive Director Fax: 601-354-6016
www.its.state.ms.us
LOC Questions and Clarifications Memorandum
To: Solicited Vendors for Letter of Configuration (LOC) Number 37690, dated June 10,
2008, for the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA)
From: David L. Litchliter
Date: June 16, 2008
Subject: Responses to Questions Submitted and Clarifications to Specifications
Contact Name: Chris Nix
Contact Phone Number: 601-359-1641
Contact E-mail Address: Chris.Nix@its.state.ms.us
The following questions were submitted to ITS and are being presented as they were submitted,
except to remove any reference to a specific vendor. This information should assist you in
formulating your response.
Question 1: Will migration services from existing Dell SAN be needed to transfer data to the
proposed new SAN? If migration is needed, please provide the following
information which is reflected in the attached Data Migration Survey Tool. If
possible, please fill out the Data Migration Survey Tool.
How much data is resident on the SAN?
What type of application data – i.e. SQL, Oracle, Exchange, etc?
How many LUNs are in place and size of LUNs
Response: No migration services are required. MDA will perform the data transfer
after the new SAN has been installed.
Question 2: What is the service tag # or model number for the existing Dell SAN?
Response: The existing SAN is a Dell CX300.
Board Members – Derek Gibbs, Chairman Cecil L. Watkins, Vice-Chairman Stephen A. Adamec, Jr. John Hairston Thomas A. Wicker
Question 3: Would MDA consider a disk-in-place upgrade, if possible, with additional storage
as requested, in lieu of migration?
Response: No. Please propose a new SAN solution.
Question 4: What is the existing I/O slot type on the servers in order to determine FC HBA
interface – i.e PCI-E or PCI-X ?
Response: The servers have PCI-E slots.
Question 5: Line item 5.1.12 asks for optional support for snapshot. Is snapshot software to
be included in the proposal?
Response: Yes. Please include snapshot software in your proposal.
Question 6: Section 5.1.1 the bid specifies that the solutions should use SAS drives. Will
MDA accept a device that is configured fiber channel drives over the SAS drives?
Response: No. MDA requires SAS drives for this LOC.
Question 7: This section also states there is a minimum of 10TB required. Is this RAW
storage or does MDA request 10TB of useable space?
Response: MDA requires 10 TB of usable storage.
Question 8: Section 5.1.2 requests that the device be able to support up to 64 fiber channel
host. How many hosts does this need to support initially?
Response: MDA requires 8 hosts to be supported initially.
Question 9: Section 5.1.4 requests that there be dual (redundant) 4GB Fiber Channel
Switches. How many switch ports are needed at initial time of purchase (per
switch)? What is the maximum number of ports each switch needs to be
supported? Please also specify if this includes redundant power supplies for each
switch.
Response: MDA requires 8 switch ports. A maximum of 16 ports need to be supported.
Yes. Redundant power supplies are required in each switch.
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Question 10: Section 5.1.10 states that the device must support RAID 0,1,3,5,6,10 and 50. Will
MDA accept a device that supports all of the above except RAID 50?
Response: No. MDA requires RAID 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 10, and 50 to be supported.
Question 11: Section 5.2.3 states that the minimum spec is two LBO4 800/1600. Is this supposed
to read LTO4? How many initial tape slots are required?
Response: That is correct. Item 5.2.3 is being modified to read: “Includes two LT04
tape drives with 30 tape slots.”
Question 12: Does MDA require vendors to propose racks in this solution?
Response: No. MDA will provide the racks needed.
Question 13: Do the servers that will be needing connection to the SAN environment currently
have the correct fiber channel HBA’s included in them, or do HBA’s need to be
included in this response? If HBA’s are to be included, please provide the model
and serial numbers of the servers that will be used in this environment.
Response: Please include the correct HBA’s in your proposal. MDA is currently using
HP Proliant – DL360 G5 servers. Serial numbers are MXQ820A5Z1,
MXQ820A5TA, MXQ820A5Y9, and MXQ820A638.
Question 14: Item 13.3 in LOC #37690 states that “proposals scoring less than 80% of
technical specifications (exclusive of evaluation points for cost and value-add)
may not be considered.” Will ITS change that percentage to a higher percentage?
We suggest 95% for the following reasons: (1) Waiving 20% of the specifications
could result in much more than a 20% percentage reduction that in reliability,
productivity, compatibility, expandability, etc.; (2) Traditionally, ITS has given a
much higher scoring weight to COST than ITS has given to TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS. If 20% of the specifications can be waived, then vendors
will be encouraged to submit responses based on the lowest cost alternative vs.
the solution with the best performance to cost ratio; (3) Allowing a 20% variance
in specifications makes the determination of the LOC award a much more
subjective process.
Response: Item 13.3 states that 'proposals scoring less than 80% of the technical
specifications MAY not be considered' in order to give the State the ability to
reduce the effort required to complete the evaluation process by eliminating
proposals from further consideration that do not significantly meet the
technical specifications. The State reserves this right by using the word
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'may'; however, the State may also choose to perform a complete evaluation
on all proposals regardless of the score received on the technical
specifications. Proposals that do not meet the minimum specifications of the
LOC will be eliminated from further consideration and/or considered non-
responsive. Item 13.3 does not inhibit the State from awarding this
procurement to the Vendor submitting the lowest and best proposal.
LOC responses are due June 20, 2008, at 3:00 p.m. (Central Time).
If you have any questions concerning the information above or if we can be of further assistance,
please contact Chris Nix at 601-359-1641 or via email at Chris.Nix@its.state.ms.us.
cc: File 37690
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