1. Hosted by Creating RFPs for SAN Management Solutions Marc Farley President, Building Storage Networks, Inc.

2. Hosted by Agenda Perspectives on the RFP process  Manage expectations to get the best results Defining your goals  Know what you want  Form the request in business terms  Look for potential problems Making the final decision  Consider all relevant inputs  Weigh features, functions, support, training and cost

3. Hosted by Perspectives on the RFP Process

4. Hosted by Managing Expectations Perspectives on RFPs: Customer and vendor differences Define and communicate the process Estimate the opportunity

5. Hosted by Managing Expectations Customer and vendor differences I want to go to a big and beautiful canyon

6. Hosted by Managing Expectations Customer and vendor differences 1.Optimize value 2.Implement solution 3.Competent support 4.Generic language 1. Make money 2. Sell technology 3. Minimize support costs 4. Proprietary language

7. Hosted by Managing Expectations Communicate the selection process Process steps  Deliverables  Dates Criteria  Metrics  Weights  Cost  References

8. Hosted by Managing Expectations Estimating the opportunity Immediate opportunity Opportunity potential Scope Local / regional / global Timing

9. Hosted by And now a word from our sponsor: Effective use of consultants Don’t outsource requirements!  Educate your team  Don’t abdicate the responsibility 3 rd -party feedback is valuable  Identify blind spots  Catch errors and misconceptions

10. Hosted by Know What you Want Start by knowing what you have…

11. Hosted by Know what you want Define the solution context System platforms Storage platforms HBAs Switches/directors Routers/bridges Networks (incl virtual nets) Storage appliances Operating systems File systems Volume managers Device drivers Backup Mirroring/remote copy SRM Network management

12. Hosted by Know what you want Include operating parameters 24 X 7 for web servers 1:00 to 5:00 backup window 200 max email users per server 1.5 sec max response time Currently 1.2 secs 35% growth rate of stored data 93% maximum volume full Remote copies of patient records

13. Hosted by Know what you want & how you manage storage today

14. Hosted by Know what you want Identify areas to improve or change Increase data availability Reduce storage costs Increase efficiencies Reduce risk exposure Bolster business continuity Comply with a new legal requirement Your favorite here

15. Hosted by Know what you want Consider multiple approaches Application E-mail archiving Storage Virtualization System HSM, NAS Network Virtual networking

16. Hosted by Know what you want Prioritize goals and set objectives

17. Hosted by Frame the RFP in business terms Don’t limit possible solutions with technology language!

18. Hosted by Frame the RFP in business terms Write a high-level overview “Our Co has 20 e-mail servers running on Linux/Intel systems that regularly have disk full conditions, forcing users to purge e-mail records once a month, resulting in a serious loss of productivity.”

19. Hosted by Frame the RFP in business terms Write a high-level overview “We have plans to integrate these servers into our existing SAN with virtual, pooled storage. Our goal is to eliminate user e-mail purging through storage and/or data management products and practices. This will be done without increasing the risk of data loss, decreasing data availability or increasing our administrative burden.”

20. Hosted by Frame the RFP in business terms Frame the solution: A hardware and/or software solution for disk full conditions on e-mail servers that reduces productivity problems with monthly user purging. Solutions could include, but are not limited to: 1. Automated purging and filtering 2. E-mail specific storage automation, including HSM-like functions 3. Platform-oriented storage automation or HSM-like function

21. Hosted by Frame the RFP in business terms List technology requirements 1. Platform; hardware and software 2. Protocol; network and storage 3. Network; cabling, switching, routing, etc… 4. Storage; subsystems, virtualization, volume managers; drivers, backup, remote copy, etc.. 5. Management; network and storage

22. Hosted by Frame the RFP in business terms Ask for a proposed HW/SW solution Parts list Numbers Prices Units Licensing terms Associated costs Maintenance Upgrades $500080Soft thing * It depends 4 x 20 Maintenance * It depends 5 Maintenance $250,0005Hard thing PRICE/UNIT# OF UNITSPRODUCT

23. Hosted by Full service Frame the RFP in business terms Ask for installation options Do it yourself Ala Carte

24. Hosted by Manage the RFP as a business process: Communicate and monitor deadlines and due dates Schedule internal resources to process vendor responses Respond quickly to inquiries from vendors

25. Hosted by Look for potential problems

26. Hosted by Look for potential problems Ask for detailed descriptions of: Product life cycle and future development plans Support methods and resources Warranty and Maintenance Growth & scalability expectations & limitations Impact on backup and data protection Software req’d and detailed description Management topology, interfaces & protocols Requirements for external products Installation process and impact System, network & storage resource requirements Platform testing specifics Functional overview of key processes

27. Hosted by Look for potential problems Evaluate overlap areas Always understand the impact that changes in one area may have on the others. Network management Storage management Data management

28. Hosted by Research all responses

29. Hosted by Research All responses Validate and consider responses Cost of goods and services  Explicit  Implicit Environmental impact  Possible disruptions Make sure there is time to clarify items

30. Hosted by Research All responses Interview references Vendor-provided references Independent references Analyst services / consultants Question motivations or partialities

31. Hosted by Making the decision

32. Hosted by Making the decision And Jimmy, keep your big phat mouth shut this time, willya?!

33. Hosted by Making the decision Weigh features & functions Does it do what you need? What isn’t covered? Are there additional benefits?

34. Hosted by Making the decision Weigh support and maintenance Warranty period Exchange/return policies & costs Response time and costs Maintenance pricing over lifecycle Dynamic, uninterrupted updates?

35. Hosted by Making the decision Weigh installation and management Training requirements Installation effort and timing Business interruption for install Daily, weekly management effort

36. Hosted by Making the decision Weigh possible risks wHat rIsKs? Financial (budget) Availability Security Operations

37. Hosted by Making the decision The paper trail Document the decision in sufficient detail Forge agreement internally, in writing Losing vendors might turn up the heat – be prepared

38. Hosted by Making the decision Letting participants know To winners: inform of next steps To losers: inform who won, don’t list reasons and thanks them for their participation and effort