Procurement of a Server Storage SAN Solution

 

 

REPORT TO; Madeline Hoskin, Assistant Director, Technology

 

DECISION DATE: 21st November 2023

 

SUPPORTING ANNEX; This report includes a supporting Annex which contains exempt information as described in paragraphs 1, 3 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

 

PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION

 

It is recommended that the Authority proceed with a direct award via CCS Framework RM6098 Technology & Associated Services 1 in order to procure a Storage Area Network (SAN) Solution.

 

The proposed contract duration is for an initial term from 02 January 2024 – 01 January 2029 with option to extend for a further 12 months

 

The estimated whole life cost is £2,400,000 + VAT (£2,880,000)

 

This approach represents best value for the Authority as meets the current storage and backup requirements of the Authority incorporating compute, storage and backup solution.

 

BACKGROUND TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION

 

Technical Information

 

As a modern digitally enabled organisation we have a very large number of systems and applications that are essential to delivering our operational services to the citizens of North Yorkshire. What underpins the functionality of these technologies is a connected network of computer servers that hold and share all of the information needed to run the systems and to store the data. This is a Storage Area Network (SAN) and it makes sure that everything needed to run our operational services is safe, secure, and accessible.

 

On vesting day we inherited a fragmented set of SANs that are not fit for our organisation going forward, including some equipment that is long past its end of life leaving us at high risk of failure and subsequent disruption to service delivery. To mitigate the current, and exponentially increasing, risk it is now imperative to replace this essential hardware which will additionally underpin system and service consolidation and simultaneously improve stability, security, and resilience.

 

To future proof our service and consolidate to a single SAN it is proposed to purchase a new solution that covers all the hardware requirements across the Authority for server and data storage and disaster recovery.

 

Procurement Information.

 

As part of that process, a shortlist of solutions was evaluated, with a preferred solution recommend to the solutions review board, which was approved. Engagement was made with a number of suppliers based on the Gartner Quadrant recommendations alongside a 3rd party, Softcat, who have provided advice and guidance:

 

All potential suppliers that were engaged were provided with details of the current infrastructure and the requirements which allowed them to present their own recommendations.

 

·         Dell - Invited on site to give a number of presentations around their proposals. These were to management, technical staff, and Data Governance team.

·         Celerity - Invited on site to give a number of presentations around their proposals for an IBM solution. These were to management and technical staff.

·         Nutanix - Invited to give a number of presentations around their proposals. These were to management and technical staff.

·         HPe - Telephone discussions and presentation around their Greenlake managed service offering

·         Rubrick - invited to give presentations and demos of their proposed solution to technical and cyber team staff

·         Veeam - invited to give presentations and demos of their proposed solution to management and technical staff

 

Following a number of design sessions with Dell the following design has been proposed to meet our Storage Area Network requirements:

 

 

Financial information.

 

Previous expenditure on SAN’s and backup hardware and software:

Northallerton  - Purchase £650,000               Current Annual Maintenance             - £100,000

Craven                 - Purchase £76,640                       Current Annual Maintenance - £23,000

Richmondshire- Purchase £50,000                                      Current Annual Maintenance                 - £12,600

Scarborough     - Purchase £60,000                                       Current Annual Maintenance                 - £10,000

Selby                - Purchase £60,000                 Current Annual Maintenance             - £10,000

 

Identified Budget

·         Legacy County Council Technology Roadmap Funding - £540,000

·         Capital Reserves identified for ICT replacement from legacy District and Borough Councils identified for additional cost of £1,860,000

 

Total expected cost for SAN and Backup £2,400,000

 

An estimated worst case scenario additional £900,000 spend may be required for expansion of the compute and storage of the solution in 2025/26 to include other areas with hardware that will go out of support in 2025 and 2026. 

 

This potential additional spend is expected be considerably lower as the consolidation of systems progresses, we aim to prioritise areas of consolidation to reduce the likelihood of potential costs and will closely monitor progress in the project plan.

 

LEGAL AND GOVERNANCE COMPLIANCE

 

As per the Council’s Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules, Rule 11 states;

 

11.1 Tenders for Contracts which exceed the WTO GPA Procurement Threshold shall be invited and awarded in accordance with the PCRs and as prescribed in Rule 11 and 12.

 

As per Rule 16.3:

 

A Director does not need to invite Above Threshold Tenders in accordance with Rule 11 and 12, in the following circumstances:

 

A)     purchases via Framework Agreements which have been established either by the Council or by other public sector bodies or consortia (including, but not limited to PSBO’s) and where such Framework Agreements are lawfully accessible to the Council. Contracts awarded from such Framework Agreements shall be awarded in accordance with the provisions of that Framework Agreement. 

 

The contract will be awarded via CCS Framework RM698 Technology Services 1. This is a compliant route to market and complies with the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

OJEU Notices: Services - 514766-2020 - TED Tenders Electronic Daily (europa.eu)

RECOMMENDATION

 

It is recommended that the Authority proceed with a direct award via CCS Framework RM6098 Technology Products and Associated Services 2, in order to procure a Storage Area Network (SAN) solution. The proposed contract duration is and initial term is from 02 January 2024 to 01 January 2029 with the option to extend for another 12 months at a cost of £2,400,000.

 

This approach represents best value for the Authority as meets the current and likely future requirements of the Authority as well as providing a platform for the standardisation of key applications used by services across the new authority.