REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #34-04 February 27, 2004
PURCHASING DEPARTMENT
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
ORONO, MAINE 04469-5765
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR COMPUTER CLUSTER NODES
1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION:
1.1 Purpose: The University of Maine System, acting through The University of Maine, is seeking proposals for the provision of components of a high performance computer cluster as specified below.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) states the instructions for submitting proposals, the procedure and criteria by which a vendor may be selected and the contractual terms by which the University intends to govern the relationship between it and the selected vendor.
1.2 Definition of Parties: The University of Maine will hereinafter be referred to as the "University." Respondents to the RFP shall be referred to as "Bidders." The Bidder to whom the contract is awarded shall be referred to as the "Contractor."
1.3 Scope: The University of Maine is requesting proposals for nodes for a Beowulf-style computer cluster comprised of three (3) master nodes and two hundred fifty six (256) compute nodes, with the option of purchasing additional compute nodes in increments of thirty two (32), up to a total of five hundred and twelve (512) compute nodes. Diskless compute nodes will be required. All nodes will be mounted in standard 19” enclosures.
1.4 Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated on many criteria deemed to be in the University's best interests, including, but not limited to price, ability and experience of bidder, financial stability of bidder, and cluster performance. Performance will be measured on the following, in order of importance:
A. Compute node count
B. Compute node performance
C. Compute node thermal properties
D. Electrical power requirements
E. Total cost of Beowulf cluster system as calculated by the University
F. Corporate experience designing and building Beowulf nodes
G. Warranty offered
1.5 Communication with the University: It is the responsibility of the bidder to inquire about any requirement of this RFP that is not understood. Responses to inquiries, if they change or clarify the RFP in a substantial manner, will be forwarded by addenda to all parties that have received a copy of the RFP. Addenda will also be posted on our web site, www.umaine.edu/purchasing/. The University will not be bound by oral responses to inquiries or written responses other than addenda.
Inquiries must be made to: Richard Guthrie
Purchasing Department Room 101
University of Maine
5765 Service Building
Orono, Maine 04469-5765
(207) 581-3734
1.6 Award of Proposal: Presentations may be requested of two or more bidders deemed by the University to be the best suited among those submitting proposals on the basis of the selection criteria. After presentations have been conducted, the University may select the bidder which, in its opinion, has made the proposal that is the most responsive and most responsible and may award the contract to that bidder. The University reserves the right to waive minor irregularities. Scholarships, donations, or gifts to the University, will not be considered in the evaluation of bids/proposals. The University reserves the right to reject any or all bids/proposals, in whole or in part, and is not necessarily bound to accept the lowest cost bid/proposal if that bid/proposal is contrary to the interests of the University. The University may cancel this Request for Proposal or reject any or all proposals in whole or in part. Should the University determine in its sole discretion that only one bidder is fully qualified, or that one bidder is clearly more qualified than any other under consideration, a contract may be awarded to that bidder without further action.
1.7 Award Protest: Bidders may appeal the award decision by submitting a written protest to the Director of Purchasing within five (5) business days of the date of the award notice, with a copy of the protest to the successful bidder. The protest must contain a statement of the basis for the challenge.
1.8 Confidentiality: The information contained in proposals submitted for the University's consideration will be held in confidence until all evaluations are concluded and an award has been made. At that time, the winning proposal will be available for public inspection. Pricing and other information that is an integral part of the offer cannot be considered confidential after an award has been made. The University will honor requests for confidentiality for information of a proprietary nature. Clearly mark any information considered confidential.
1.9 Costs of Preparation: Bidder assumes all costs of preparation of the proposal and any presentations necessary to the proposal process.
1.10 Debarment: Submission of a signed bid or proposal in response to this solicitation is certification that your firm (or any subcontractor) is not currently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any State or Federal department or agency. Submission is also agreement that the University will be notified of any change in this status.
1.11 Proposal Understanding: By submitting a proposal, the bidder agrees and assures that the specifications are adequate, and the bidder accepts the terms and conditions herein. Any exceptions should be noted in your response.
1.12 Proposal Validity: Unless specified otherwise, all proposals shall be valid for 60 days from the due date of the proposal.
1.13 Specification Protest Process and Remedies: If a bidder feels that the specifications are written in a way that limits competition, a specification protest may be sent to the Purchasing Department. Specification Protests will be responded to within five (5) business days of receipt. Determination of protest validity is at the sole discretion of the University. The due date of the bid may be changed if necessary to allow consideration of the protest and issuance of any necessary addenda. Specification protests shall be presented to the University in writing as soon as identified, but no less than five (5) business days prior to the bid opening date and time. No protest against the award due to the specifications shall be considered after this deadline. Protests shall include the reason for the protest and any proposed changes to the specifications. Protests should be delivered to the Purchasing Department in sealed envelopes, clearly marked as follows:
SPECIFICATION PROTEST, RFP #______
1.14 Proposal Submission: A SIGNED original and 8 copies of the proposal must be submitted to the University of Maine Purchasing Department, 5765 Service Building, Orono, Maine 04469-5765, in a sealed envelope by Tuesday, March 16, 2004 to be date stamped by the Purchasing Department in order to be considered. Normal business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Proposals received after the due date will be returned unopened. There will be no public opening of proposals (see Confidentiality clause). Vendors are strongly encouraged to submit proposals in advance of the due date to avoid the possibility of missing the due date because of unforeseen circumstances. Vendors assume the risk of the methods of dispatch chosen. The University assumes no responsibility for delays caused by any package or mail delivery service. Postmarking by the due date WILL NOT substitute for receipt of proposal. In the event that the University is closed due to inclement weather on the day that a proposal is due, proposals will be accepted on the next day that the University is open. Vendors may wish to call 207-581-SNOW or 800-581-SNOW if the weather is bad, to learn if the University has closed. Additional time will not be granted to any single vendor, however additional time may be granted to all vendors when the University determines that circumstances require it. FAXED OR E-MAIL PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. The envelope must be clearly identified on the outside as follows:
Name of Bidder
Address of Bidder
Due Date
RFP #
1.15 Proposal Preparation: Before submitting a proposal, the bidder may visit the site of the proposed work to become fully acquainted with existing conditions, facilities, difficulties and restrictions, and thoroughly examine and be familiar with the specifications included in the bid. The site will be available for inspection by appointment.
University contact: John Koskie, 207-866-6511, e-mail jkoskie@maine.edu
2.0 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
2.1 Acceptance Tests: The Beowulf cluster shall demonstrate both component and system level functionality/performance. Upon delivery, the cluster will be used to run the linpak benchmark for a period no shorter than four (4) hours without any errors. The actual linpak benchmark numbers are not the focus of the test, rather that the cluster operated with full compute load for the duration of the test without any errors. Failure to satisfy acceptance testing may result in rejection of the cluster with no financial obligation incurred by the University.
2.2 Contract Documents: If a separate contract is not written, the contract entered into by the parties shall consist of the RFP, the signed proposal submitted by the Contractor, the specifications including all modifications thereof, and a purchase order or letter of agreement requiring signatures of the University and the Contractor, all of which shall be referred to collectively as the Contract Documents.
2.3 Contract Validity: In the event one or more clauses of the contract are declared invalid, void, unenforceable or illegal, that shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the contract.
2.4 Clarification of Responsibilities: If the Contractor needs clarification of or deviation from the terms of the contract, it is the Contractor's responsibility to obtain written clarification or approval from Richard Guthrie.
2.5 Litigation: This Contract and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maine. The Contractor agrees that any litigation, action or proceeding arising out of this Contract, shall be instituted in a state court located in the State of Maine.
2.6 Assignment: Neither party of the contract shall assign the contract without the prior written consent of the other, nor shall the contractor assign any money due or to become due without the prior written consent of the University.
2.7 Equal Opportunity: In the execution of the contract, the Contractor and all subcontractors agree, consistent with University of Maine System policy, not to discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability or veterans status and to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.
2.8 Independent Contractor: Whether the Contractor is corporation, partnership, other legal entity, or an individual, the Contractor is an independent contractor. If the Contractor is an individual, the Contractor's duties will be performed with the understanding that the Contractor is a self-employed person, has special expertise as to the services which the Contractor is to perform and is customarily engaged in the independent performance of the same or similar services for others. The manner in which the services are performed shall be controlled by the Contractor; however, the nature of the services and the results to be achieved shall be specified by the University. The Contractor is not to be deemed an employee or agent of the University and has no authority to make any binding commitments or obligations on behalf of the University except as expressly provided herein. The University of Maine System has prepared specific guidelines to be used for contractual agreements with individuals (not corporations or partnerships) who are not considered employees of the System.
2.9 Sexual Harassment: The University is committed to providing a positive environment for all students and staff. Sexual harassment, whether intentional or not, undermines the quality of this educational and working climate. The University thus has a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that all students and employees can learn and work in an environment free of sexual harassment. Consistent with the state and federal law, this right to freedom from sexual harassment was defined as University policy by the Board of Trustees. Failure to comply with this policy could result in termination of this contract without advanced notice. Further information regarding this policy is available from the Director of Equal Opportunity, North Stevens Hall, 581-1226.
2.10 Indemnification: The Contractor agrees to be responsible for, and to protect, save harmless, and indemnify the University and its employees from and against all loss, damage, cost and expense (including attorney's fees) suffered or sustained by the University or for which the University may be held or become liable by reason of injury (including death) to persons or property or other causes whatsoever, in connection with the operations of the Contractor or any subcontractor under this agreement.
2.11 Contractor's Liability Insurance: During the term of this agreement, the Contractor shall maintain the following insurance only if on-site work is specified:
Insurance Type Coverage Limit
1. Commercial General Liability $1,000,000 per occurrence or more
(Written on an Occurrence-based form) (Bodily Injury and Property Damage)
2. Automobile Liability $1,000,000 per occurrence or more
(Including Hired & Non-Owned) (Bodily Injury and Property Damage)
3. Workers Compensation Required for all personnel
Employers Liability minimum limits:
Bodily injury by accident: $100,000 each accident
Bodily injury by disease: $100,000 each accident
Bodily injury by disease: $500,000 policy limit
The University of Maine System shall be named as Additional Insured on the Commercial General Liability insurance.
Certificates of Insurance for all of the above insurance shall be filed with:
University of Maine Purchasing Department
5765 Service Building
Orono, Maine 04469
Certificates shall be filed prior to the date of performance under this Agreement. Said certificates, in addition to proof of coverage, shall contain the standard Acord statement pertaining to written notification in the event of cancellation, with a thirty (30) day notification period.
As additional insured and certificate holder, the University should be included as follows:
The University of Maine System
107 Maine Avenue
Bangor, ME 04401
2.12 Smoking Policy: The University of Maine System must comply with the "Work place Smoking Act of 1985" and MRSA title 22, 1541 et seq "Smoking Prohibited in Public Places." In compliance with this law, the University of Maine System has prohibited smoking in all University System buildings except in designated smoking areas. This rule must also apply to all contractors and workers in existing University System buildings. The Contractor shall be responsible for the implementation and enforcement of this requirement within existing buildings.
3.0 PERFORMANCE TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
3.1 Contract Administration: The University of Maine Purchasing Department or its designee shall be the University's authorized representative in all matters pertaining to the administration of this contract.
3.2 Employees: The Contractor shall employ only competent and satisfactory personnel and shall provide a sufficient number of employees to perform the required services efficiently and in a manner satisfactory to the University. If the Contract Administrator or designee, notifies the Contractor in writing that any person employed on this contract is incompetent, disorderly, or otherwise unsatisfactory, such person shall not again be employed in the execution of this contract without the written consent of the Contract Administrator.
3.3 Payments: Payment will be upon submittal of an invoice (after acceptance) to the Purchasing Department by the Contractor on a net 30 basis unless discount terms are offered. Invoices must include a purchase order number.
3.4 Warranty: All
materials and equipment shall be fully guaranteed against defects for a period
of three (3) years following date of acceptance. The Contractor must be able to
provide next-day response for on-site part delivery. In addition the Contractor
shall provide the following spare parts: Spare batteries (30) Spare
fans (20) Spare shrouds (4).
3.5 Price Decreases: Should AMD announce a price decrease for
Opteron processors prior to shipping, the Contractor
will ship at the lower cost.
4.0 SPECIFICATIONS:
4.1 Introduction: The University of Maine is building a large Beowulf-style cluster using commercial server hardware. Key aspects of the cluster are:
·At least 259 dual-CPU nodes with:
o“64-bit” CPU architecture.
oAt least 256 diskless compute nodes.
oThree “master” nodes for control functions.
·Gigabit Ethernet network.
·Rack-mount physical build.
·Ability to have other high performance networks attached through the use of a PCI-X or PCI 64/66 on each node.
·Operation under a Linux operating system with a kernel >= 2.6.
The University of Maine System is requesting proposals for master and client nodes for a Beowulf-style cluster. Proposals are for nodes only. Proposals should not include network switch gear, power conditioning and distribution, nor racks.
Vendors may submit as many separate proposals from and or all of the following two options presented below. For either or both options the vendor is free to propose any additional features that they believe will benefit our system specification or overall goal.
4.2 Common Requirements: The following specifications must be met by any proposal to either Option A or Option B:
The nodes must be fully tested, configured and ready to go out of the box. This cluster will have:
·Three (3) Master nodes
·A minimum of two hundred fifty six (256) compute nodes with an option to purchase additional nodes purchased in increments of 32, up to 512 nodes.
oThe compute nodes must be diskless and PXE network bootable.
·The vendor must provide thermal data showing that CPU temperatures meet, or preferably, exceed the CPU manufacturer’s temperature specifications when operating at full load for extended periods of time.
·Power supply specifications:
oInput: 120V AC 60Hz single phase.
oAll node power supplies must have active power factor correction to a power factor of 0.95 or better at all loads
oVendor must disclose full load power requirements for individual nodes with their bid.
oMeet or exceed all requirements of the motherboard and CPU manufacturers.
4.3 Option A: Nodes with University of Maine specification: The master nodes will contain the following specifications:
·Dual Opteron 248 processors
·Motherboard Tyan Thunder K8S: S2882UG3NR (with SCSI U320 option) UPC 635872- 007644
·4GB RAM certified by Tyan configured as 4x1024MB (32x8) 2 in each bank
·One 100 GB (or larger) SATA hard disk
·Ultra/320 SCSI external connection
·Plextor PX-707A DVD burner
·4U chassis rack mount chassis. All PCI slots on the motherboard must be simultaneously usable with standard profile PCI cards.
·Masters must come with adjustable rail kits, adjustable up to depth of 29-30". Must be able to install in an enclosure with EIA Alternating Hole Pattern.
The compute nodes will meet the following specifications:
·Dual AMD Opteron 244
oProvide a per machine discount if Opteron 242 is substituted for Opteron 244
·Motherboard: TYAN Thunder K8S S2882G3NR (without SCSI U320 option) UPC 635872-007651
·No hard drive
·Internal CD-ROM (this drive must be read only)
·At least (1) PCI 64/66 slot or PCI-X slot must be fully usable for a standard profile PCI card
·1U rack mount chassis with rails provided to be mounted in Chatsworth M1x5x-xxx cabinet with 12-24 tapped rails. Adjustable rails not required. Must be able to install in an enclosure with EIA Alternating Hole Pattern.
·Node must be configured as follows:
1.Boot order – CD-ROM –> PXE ETH0 –> PXE ETH1
2.MAC addresses printed on top of case and front of machine
3.2 GB DRAM certified by TYAN and configured as: 4x512MB (32x8) , 2 in each bank
4.BIOS: settings:
·After power failure: power on
·BIOS: APMD disabled
·Verbose boot messages
·ECC enabled
·Cache enabled
·USB enabled
·Chipkill disabled
·Disable keyboard error message
·NUMLOCK enabled
·PS/2 enabled
·Vendor must provide a total of two (2) NVRAM flash CDs to reset bios settings back to specified setting if the bios loses its settings.
4.4 Option B: System with Vendor specified nodes: Vendors are encouraged to submit proposals for clusters of 64-bit processors having equivalent or better performance. The purpose of Option B is to allow the consideration of vendor-specified hardware to achieve a higher node count that could obtained using the specifications in Option A. The University reserves the right to determine if a system is “equivalent or better”. Minimum requirements are:
·Only 64 bit processors are acceptable.
·A minimum of two (2) Gigabit Ethernet (1000-T) ports per node. Each node must have a label identifying the MAC addresses for the onboard Ethernet.
·Master nodes:
oUltra/320 SCSI internal and external connector
o4GB RAM certified by the motherboard manufacturer
oOne 100 GB (or larger) hard disk (SATA or faster)
oIDE bus required
oPlextor PX-707A DVD burner
o4U chassis rack mount chassis. All PCI slots on the motherboard must be simultaneously usable with standard profile PCI cards.
oMasters must come with adjustable rail kits, adjustable up to depth of 29-30". Must be able to install in an enclosure with EIA Alternating Hole Pattern.
·Compute nodes:
oNo hard drive
oInternal CD-ROM (this drive must be read only)
oAt least (1) PCI 64/66 slot or PCI-X slot must be fully usable for a standard profile PCI card
oRack mount chassis with rails provided to be mounted in Chatsworth M1x5x-xxx cabinet with 12-24 tapped rails. It is highly desirable that the compute nodes be at most 1U form factor. Adjustable rails not required. Must be able to install in an enclosure with EIA Alternating Hole Pattern.
5.0 PROPOSAL CONTENT:
Bidders shall ensure that all information required herein is submitted with the proposal. All information provided should be verifiable by documentation requested by the University. Failure to provide all information, inaccuracy or misstatement may be sufficient cause for rejection of the proposal or rescission of an award. Bidders are encouraged to provide any additional information describing operational abilities. Responses to each requirement below should be in order and clearly marked with the section number to which they respond.
5.1 Business Profile:
5.1.1 No financial statements are required to be submitted with your bids/proposals, however, prior to an award the University may request financial statements from your company, credit reports and letters from your bank and suppliers.
5.1.2 Please submit with your bid or proposal a detailed history and description of your company and any published reports about your company.
5.1.3 Inventory levels and average number of days to shipment after receipt of order.
5.1.4 Document experience with high performance computing solutions.
5.1.5 Document experience with Unix/ Linux system integration.
5.2 Product Information: The bidder shall clearly and specifically identify the product being offered and enclose complete and detailed descriptive literature, catalog cuts and specifications with the bid to enable the University of Maine to determine if the product offered meets the requirements of the solicitation. Failure to do so may cause the bid to be considered non-responsive.
Provide specific information for the following components: Motherboard type, chipset, ram type and speed, processor type and speed, power supply rating, disk type and speed, scsi device controller, quantity and location of cooling fans (cpu and chassis).
5.3 Provide professional resumes for key people who will be assigned to this project.
5.4 Warranty: Provide warranty information, both on parts and labor, applying to all equipment that may be purchased as a result of this Request for Bid. This would include units/components not manufactured by the seller.
5.5 The bidder must state which of the options they are proposing. If the bidder wishes to propose more than one (1) option, product and price information must be clearly labeled and submitted separately for each option proposed. The bidder only needs to send one (1) set of all other required information.
5.6 Pricing: Indicate the option you are proposing and provide a detailed and priced equipment list. Provide as much itemization as possible. Indicate the cost per node to add additional nodes in increments of 32, up to 512 nodes. Prices must be at destination with inside delivery. The University will purchase a minimum of 256 nodes and additional nodes in increments of 32 up to the limit of available funds. Note that the University specification is for Opteron 244 Processors, but the University would like to see the discount for Opteron 242 Processors (See Section 4.3). Prices quoted will be considered to include all charges for transportation, packaging, crates, containers, insurance, duty and brokerage charges, etc., necessary to complete delivery on an inside delivery destination basis.
5.7 Samples: The University may request bidder to provide a sample node for client testing prior to an award. Sample shall be an exact and true representation of the equipment offered. In the event the delivered equipment fails to conform to the sample provided, the Contractor shall immediately replace the delivered equipment with acceptable equipment conforming to the contract requirements at no additional cost to the University.
5.8 References: A list of three references is required to be submitted with your proposal. These references should be agencies your firm has done business with in the past two years on projects with a similar scope to this one.
Company Name:____________________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________________
City:____________________ State:_________ Zip Code:___________
Contact Person:__________________________________________________
Phone Number: ( ) ______________ Fax Number: ( )_____________
Company Name:____________________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________________
City:___________________ State:_________ Zip Code:___________
Contact Person:__________________________________________________
Phone Number: ( ) _______________ Fax Number: ( )____________
Company Name:____________________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________________
City:____________________ State:_________ Zip Code:___________
Contact Person:__________________________________________________
Phone Number: ( ) _________________ Fax Number: ( )__________
6.0 SIGNATURE:
COMPANY NAME
By:
(Signature)
(Print Name)
(Title)
(Date)