The subject of the award procedure is the delivery and commissioning of an all-flash storage system including maintenance in accordance with technical specifications and tender documents as part of the "HZB Storage Infrastructure (TP 1)" project.
As one of 18 centres of the Helmholtz Association, HZB employs around 1,100 people – including around 800 in Berlin-Wannsee and 300 in Berlin-Adlershof – and has a total budget of around 110 million euros. HZB works closely with the universities and universities of applied sciences in Berlin-Brandenburg.
For research work on the structure and function of matter, HZB operates a large-scale scientific facility: the electron storage ring BESSY II, which generates highly brilliant synchrotron radiation from the terahertz to the X-ray range. The facility is used for the study of matter and has highly specialized sample environments. This means that experiments can be carried out under the most demanding conditions (high magnetic fields, low temperatures, high pressures). The further development of this unique instrument is one of the main tasks of the Centre.
With its user service, HZB provides around 3,000 external scientists (from 35 countries to date) with access to the measurement methods, some of which are unique.
HZB operates two other large-scale facilities for external institutions: an accelerator for Charité that generates proton beams for eye tumor therapy (in Wannsee) and the Metrology Light Source, an optimized storage ring for the Physikalisch-Technische-Bundesanstalt (in Adlershof).
The realization of a sustainable energy supply is a central, pressing issue of this decade. Research faces the challenge of developing sustainable approaches to solving the energy question. Against this background, a successor source BESSY III is planned, which is to go into operation at a third location from 2030.
The activities in the Infrastructure department are geared towards the performance-oriented and reliable operation of the information technology systems at the locations in Berlin Adlershof (Wilhelm-Conrad-Röntgen-Campus) and Berlin Wannsee (Lise-Meitner-Campus).
The aim of this award procedure is to procure an all-flash storage system for HZB's VMware and server landscape. In addition to the VMware servers, this all-flash storage system will also be used to operate a Windows Storage Server cluster and Linux servers for storing and processing scientific data. The all-flash storage system must meet the special requirements of HZB and is intended to replace an existing storage system at the Berlin Adlershof site.
The main services advertised through this award procedure are:
• Delivery of an all-flash storage system
• Billing model: purchase with maintenance for 5 years (with extension option over 2 years)
• Installation of the hardware and bringing about operational readiness
•Training
In order to get the maximum benefit from flash technology, a storage system is to be used that has been designed and developed exclusively for use with NVMe flash storage. A system that is optimized for the use of SAS hard drives and equipped with SAS SSDs does not meet these requirements.
The 3PAR 8200 storage system is to be replaced by a uniform, high-performance, highly available and expandable block storage solution. For this purpose, an NVMe-based all-flash storage solution with at least 1 PB usable memory is to be procured. The solution is to consist of two individual, identically structured storage systems that are connected to each other as a metro cluster.
For the time being, both storage systems will be housed in the same new server room of building 14.55 (TH2). Only when another server room on the site is completed will the second system move there. For the time being, the replication of data between the two storage systems can therefore take place via Fibre Channel direct connections (without detour via FC switches), since the installation location is located in two adjacent racks.
All currently valid legal provisions, the EU General Data Protection Regulation and currently recognized guidelines for the electromagnetic compatibility of electrical systems must be observed (new EMC Directive 2014/30/EU).
Planning and execution documents and calculations supplied by HZB must be checked by the bidder for any deficiencies and discrepancies before submitting the offer. Additional explanations of the service description or the proposed configuration and migration to future systems can be attached to the offer as a separate appendix.