1 TSWG Cloud Update Harry House October 21, 2014

2 What is the Cloud? One definition: Cloud computing refers to applications and services offered over the Internet. These services are offered from data centers all over the world, which collectively are referred to as the "cloud."

3 Why move to the Cloud? USGS Mission Statement “The USGS serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.” *Note: Building and managing basic IT hosting services is not included in the above statement.

4 EI Cloud Procurement Update The Office of Enterprise Information has submitted an RFI via the Department’s Foundation Cloud Hosting Services Contract on September 9, 2014 for the ‘Integrated Cloud Exchange Solution (ICES).

5 EI Cloud Procurement Update A pre-solicitation conference with the vendors was held on October 8 th and 9 th. An overview of the ICES was presented, and the vendors asked questions about the requirements. It was suggested that the vendors might visit mission representatives to further their understanding of our operations, and how they may better support them.

6 EI Cloud Procurement Update The ICES is being structured as a Statement of Objectives. In general terms, the SOO requests broad access to Cloud services, the creation of various enterprise catalogs and repositories, and consulting services related to Cloud activities.

7 EI Cloud Procurement Update The ICES services will be available to the entire USGS to participate in. It may take up to a year for an award to be made under the ICES procurement.

8 Ancillary Cloud Procurement Update A request for a waiver for the USGS to pursue a Cloud acquisition via the NIH ECSIII contract was submitted to DOI in mid-July. The requested period is up to two years, and a maximum of 10 million dollars. Approval for that request has not yet been granted.

9 Ancillary Cloud Procurement Update The procurement would be for base Cloud services only, and would not include consulting services or assistance developing new applications by the vendor.

10 Ancillary Cloud Procurement Update The USGS is requesting that potentially any group could use the task order. DOI is indicating they are receptive to that, with the requirement to inform them of what we are putting into the Cloud, and to collaborate with them in so doing.

11 Ancillary Cloud Procurement Update Any systems established under the ancillary procurement are required to be subsumed by the larger EI ICES at the expiry of the task order. It is anticipated that a task order could be awarded within 6-8 weeks of the waiver being signed.

12 Other Cloud Procurement Options We are not allowed to procure Cloud services by use of credit cards. Going directly to the DOI with your individual applications for separate procurements is not being encouraged by the EI office. They are trying to approach the USGS Cloud efforts in an enterprise manner, and they feel that would undermine that effort.

13 Cloud Hosting Strategy

14 Cloud Hosting Strategy A Cloud host is a Virtual Data Center Security, firewalls, networking, monitoring, backups, etc. Over time, could be larger than some of the existing DOI hosting sites

15 If the Ancillary Procurement Happens… Build the VDC platform before or while migrating applications into it. Prioritize migration candidates based on practical criteria –Ease, impact, cost savings, technical opportunity Start small, test, refine, ramp up, repeat

16 If the Ancillary Procurement Happens… A contracting officer familiar with the NIH contract and Cloud procurement is standing by. An initial project team to establish the hosting environment is in-place. A tool to help parties assess how ‘Cloud- ready’ their applications might be has been created and is available.

17 If the Ancillary Procurement Happens… The EI office has indicated they plan to leverage whatever is put-in-place under the ancillary procurement as part of the ICES roll-out.

18 EI Strategic Plans The EI office has developed an overall strategic plan that their ICES project is part of. Specific approaches to the ICES goals will be informed by the responses from the vendors to the SOO RFQ.

19 Challenges DOI Foundation Cloud Contract Requires multiple competed SOWS Trends towards requiring specific services and quantities there-of, which can be hard to define up-front. No guarantee of back-end cloud vendor –10 front-end, 5 back-end vendors

20 Challenges System administrators and developers need to learn how to work in the Cloud Think in terms of service-based building blocks Many ways to accomplish something; what is best? Quit trying to build or code something that is already provided as a service They need to work together as a team

21 Challenges A VDC requires staffing and resources to support. Where is that coming from? How to ensure we work together as a Bureau to coordinate design and use of our VDC(s)

22 Questions? Random Cloud comments or questions can be posted at: 014/10/09/overcast-outlook-responses-to- cloud-concerns-at-the-wret-town-hall/

23 Questions?