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CC - (1) Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with The [Re]DESIGN Group for the Purchase, Configuration, and Installation of a Dell EMC Vxrail System to Replace and Enhance Storage Capacity in the City’s Data Center, in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $146,056.29; and (2) Approval of The [Re]DESIGN Group’s Buyback of the City’s Legacy Hardware System.
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Meeting Date: February 14, 2022
Contact Person/Dept: Hoa Diep/Information Technology
Phone Number: (310) 253-6266
Fiscal Impact: Yes [x] No [] General Fund: Yes [x] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [x]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (02/09/2022);
Department Approval: Michele Williams (02/03/2022)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve a professional services agreement with The [Re]DESIGN Group for the purchase, configuration, and installation of a Dell EMC Vxrail system to replace and enhance storage capacity in the City’s data center; and (2) approve The [Re]DESIGN Group’s buyback of the City’s legacy hardware system.
BACKGROUND
On April 22, 2013 the City Council approved the purchase of a Storage Area Network (SAN) in an effort to consolidate and virtualize the City’s enterprise systems. After over eight years of use, the current SAN has reached end-of-life and will no longer be supported by the manufacturer.
A SAN is a device containing a large number of hard disks. Using networking technology, it allows multiple physical or virtual servers to attach to it as if the hard disks were installed in the server. This allows servers to be created and disk space allocated to them quickly. With a virtual server, there is no need to buy any hardware, as it is all provisioned through the software. The SAN allows drive sizes to be increased when needed, and space to be recovered for new servers when virtual servers are decommissioned. SAN technology also allows for making copies of existing servers before they are updated, or as test servers so new features can be tested before being moved to a production environment.
The SAN is the heart of the virtual server technology that the Information Technology Department utilizes. In a virtual environment, servers exist as files in the memory (RAM) on one of five very large servers. They store their data on the SAN. Disaster avoidance technologies spread the files across a number of hard disks, so a disk failure has no effect on servers in operation. The unit also has error correction technology, disks on standby, multiple power supplies, and other enhancements to safeguard the data that is stored on the unit’s disks.
DISCUSSION
In an effort to replace the end-of-life virtual data storage system, staff engaged with Dell Technologies, Inc. and the [Re]DESIGN Group to discuss replacement storage system solutions. After thorough research and investigation with the two vendors, staff recommends Dell’s EMC Vxrail as the preferred solution.
Dell EMC Vxrail is a technology that will replace the current SAN, acting as a SAN and compute source, and will enhance the City’s virtual environment. The new SAN will help make building and removing virtual servers seamlessly and will also help provision virtual servers for new software projects more efficiently.
The [Re]DESIGN Group has also agreed to buy back the City’s legacy hardware system which will significantly reduce the fiscal impact of procuring the Dell EMC Vxrail system. The quote provided by the [Re]DESIGN Group is based on the multiple award buying cooperative from the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO).
Pursuant to Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Section 3.07.055.G, the purchase of the goods and supplies is excepted from formal competitive bidding requirements when competitive bid procedures have already been utilized by the City or another public agency or non-profit entity whose main purpose is to help public agencies make purchases. NASPO pricing gives the City preferential pricing using the buying power of multiple award contracts. The quote is based on the NASPO contract number C000000878001. The buyback of property through the [Re]DESIGN Group is allowable under CCMC Section 3.07.095.B.5., as the disposition of City property can be transferred as an offset or allowance on the purchase of other property.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Approval to purchase, install and configure the Dell EMC Vxrail system would result in an expenditure not-to-exceed $146,057 including a credit of $84,000 for the buyback of legacy hardware. Sufficient funding for this purchase is allocated in the following Information Technology Department accounts:
The purchase price includes maintenance and support for the first three years. It is anticipated that beginning FY24/25 the ongoing maintenance and support expenditure for the SAN system will be approximately $27,000 annually. This expenditure will be requested during future city budgeting processes.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Approve of a Professional Services Agreement with The [Re]DESIGN Group for the purchase, configuration, and installation of a Dell EMC Vxrail System to replace and enhance storage capacity in the City’s Data Center, in an amount not-to-exceed $146,057; and
2. Approve The [Re]DESIGN Group’s buyback of the City’s legacy hardware system for a purchase credit of $84,000; and
3. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.