Example Storage Vendor RFP Scores

For organizations that have issued a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) to evaluate consolidated storage vendors, gatherin
the various responses can be difficult and time consuming. This tool enables enterprises to evaluate and compare the resu
consolidated storage RFP process quickly and easily.

Use this tool to:

- Determine each feature's level of importance to your organization.
- Score and compare potential storage RFP vendor responses.
- Review overall vendor rankings and cost estimates.

Follow the instructions outlined in each tab to complete the evaluation.

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d storage vendors, gathering and scoring
ate and compare the results of a

bers to Info-Tech services. These

advice, and are not intended to be used
s a basis and guide for document
h information in the Header and Footer
Advanced Feature Requirements
Please first enter all vendors to be evaluated in the Vendors Evaluated table directly below.

Instructions:
1. Indicate the level of desirability of each of the listed advanced feature requirements using the Mandatory/Desirable/Not Applicable drop down boxes.
2. Indicate if the vendor can meet each of the documented requirements below by using the Yes/No drop down boxes.

Vendors Evaluated Level of Desirability

Please Insert Your Vendor Names Below:
Mandatory criteria are requirements that would knock out any vendors that are unable to meet
Vendor 1 them.
Vendor 2
Desirable criteria are requirements that the organization would like as part of the solution.
Vendor 3

Vendor 4
Not Applicable criteria are requirements that the organization does not need.
Vendor 5

Level of
Feature Requirements Criteria Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5
Desirability
Flexible Volumes Volumes can be altered based on real time need. Mandatory Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Desired Disk Type Such as FC, SATA etc. Mandatory Yes No No Yes No
Supports multi-raid for higher availability.
Multi-Raid Support Desirable Yes No No Yes Yes

More used storage is automatically reallocated on higher tiered

Automated Tiered Storage Desirable No Yes Yes No No
storage.

Thin Provisioning Thin provisioning features are included in the solution. Mandatory Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Deduplication Deduplication is available for desired storage tiers. Desirable Yes No No Yes Yes

Writeable Snapshots Snapshots are editable not only readable. Desirable No Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Interface Requirements
Instructions:
1. Indicate the level of desirability of each of the listed interface requirements using the Mandatory/Desirable/Not Applicable drop down boxes.
2. Indicate if the vendor can meet each of the documented requirements below by using the Yes/No drop down boxes.

Level of
Feature Requirements Criteria Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5
Desirability
NAS Supports a Network Area Storage interface either natively or
through a controller. Mandatory Yes No No No Yes

Supports a Fibre Channel Network interface and Fibre Channel

Fibre Channel Mandatory Yes No No No Yes
disks.

10 GB Ethernet Supports or is upgradeable to 10 GB Ethernet. Desirable Yes Yes Yes Yes No

iSCSI Supports iSCSI block level disk connection over the network. Mandatory No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Other interface requirements Not Applicable

NIST | Office Chief Information Officer Page: 4

 Disaster Recovery Requirements
Instructions:
1. Indicate the level of desirability of each of the listed DR requirements using the Mandatory/Desirable/Not Applicable drop down boxes.
2. Indicate if the vendor can meet each of the documented requirements below by using the Yes/No drop down boxes.

Level of
Feature Requirements Criteria Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5
Desirability
DR Software Comes with DR software capabilities natively or is available. Desirable No Yes No Yes Yes
DR SAN Replication (2nd
Hardware DR replication available. Mandatory No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Similar Unit)
Other DR Requirements Not Applicable
Other DR Requirements Not Applicable

NIST | Office Chief Information Officer Page: 5

 Capacity Requirements
Instructions:
1. Indicate the level of desirability of each of the listed management requirements using the Mandatory/Desirable/Not Applicable drop down boxes.
2. Indicate if the vendor can meet each of the documented requirements below by using the Yes/No drop down boxes.

Level of
Feature Requirements Criteria Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5
Desirability
Volume Resize Live Automatically resizes volumes without downtime. Desirable Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Volume Auto-Expand Expands live volumes on demand. Mandatory Yes No No No Yes

Maximum Aggregate Size Meets minimum requirements of maximum capacity. Not Applicable

Raw Capacity Meets minimum requirements of raw capacity. Desirable Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Automatic striping on new

Stripes new volumes upon allocation. Desirable Yes Yes Yes No Yes
volumes
Tiered Storage Includes multiple tiers such as FC disks and SATA disks. Mandatory Yes Yes Yes No No
Rebuild Time Rebuild time for a 1 TB disk is less than 24 hours. Mandatory No Yes Yes No Yes
Other Capacity Requirements Not Applicable

NIST | Office Chief Information Officer Page: 6

 Support Requirements
Instructions:
1. Indicate the level of desirability of each of the listed support requirements using the Mandatory/Desirable/Not Applicable drop down boxes.
2. Indicate if the vendor can meet each of the documented requirements below by using the Yes/No drop down boxes.

Level of
Feature Requirements Criteria Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5
Desirability
Customer Support Provides toll-free customer support 24/7. Mandatory No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Provides complete set of user manuals for all system elements to
Documentation Mandatory Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
explain system features and functions.
Provides complete turnkey onsite implementation and project
Implementation Support Mandatory No Yes Yes Yes Yes
management support.
Training Provides hands-on training to administrators. Not Applicable No No Yes Yes Yes
Provides future software/firmware releases and updates to all
Firmware/Bios Updates Mandatory Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
elements as part of regular maintenance fees.
Onsite support through the The vendor provides its own onsite support rather than contracting
Mandatory No Yes Yes No No
vendor, not a reseller. out to a reseller.
Geographic and Language
Provides support in desired location and language. Mandatory No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Support

NIST | Office Chief Information Officer Page: 7

 Cost Estimation

Indicate the estimated costs for each vendor below (include additional cost categories as necessary).
Name Description Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5
Cost of the actual SAN or networked storage solution, including the
SAN Chassis and Disks $ 39,500 $ 48,365 $ 38,880 $ 30,000 $ 50,000
disks.
Cost of any network switches required to connect the SAN to the
Network Switch $ 1,800 $ 4,154 $ 4,154 $ 7,000 $ 1,800
network.
Software licensing fees associated with the operating system of the
Controller $ 2,700 $ 2,790 $ 2,790 $ - $ 2,700
proposed solution.

Virtualization Software The cost of acquiring and licensing the virtualization software. $ 5,000 $ 5,000 $ 5,000 $ 5,000 $ 5,000

Any documentation and/or training fees associated with the proposed

Documentation & Training $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
solution.

Maintenance Maintenance fees associated with the proposed solution. $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -

Installation/Consultation Installation costs associated with the proposed solution. $ - $ 3,700 $ 3,700 $ - $ -

Integration Any integration fees associated with the proposed solution. $ 1,500 $ 1,495 $ 1,495 $ 2,209 $ 1,500

Project Management Any project management fees associated with the proposed solution. $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -

Misc. $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -

Other (specify) $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Other (specify) $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Other (specify) $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Other (specify) $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
VENDOR Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5
TOTAL $ 50,500 $ 65,504 $ 56,019 $ 44,209 $ 61,000

NIST | Office Chief Information Officer Page: 8

Scoring Results
Instructions:
1. Indicate the weightings for each category in the Weight column below.
2. Ensure that total weightings add up to 100%.

Category Weight Vendor 1

Advanced Features 20% 80%
Interfaces 20% 71%
Disaster Recovery 20% 0%
Capacity 20% 78%
Support 20% 44%
Total Score 100% 46%

Total Cost $ 50,500.00

# of Mandatory Criteria Unmet 3

# of Desirable Criteria Unmet 3

Recommendations
- You may have to knock out vendors that have unmet mandatory criteria. Go back to those criteria and determine if they are
- Balance solution features and vendor support against cost to determine which vendors you would like to bring in for a dem
 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4 Vendor 5
60% 60% 90% 70%
43% 43% 43% 86%
100% 67% 100% 100%
78% 78% 22% 78%
133% 133% 111% 111%
56% 49% 51% 67%

$ 65,504.00 $ 56,019.00 $ 44,209.00 $ 61,000.00

4 4 5 2
2 3 2 2

o back to those criteria and determine if they are truly required before eliminating a vendor.
hich vendors you would like to bring in for a demonstration.