Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to procure a Data Archiving Appliance and Infrastructure solution that will support Transnet's long-term data storage needs over a period of three years. The solution aims to address the increasing costs and complexities associated with managing expanding data volumes across diverse formats, ensuring scalable, cost-effective, secure, and compliant data retention. Additionally, the project seeks to establish a unified, reliable, and economically sustainable archive storage system that integrates with existing on-premises infrastructure and supports future scalability, AI initiatives, and operational efficiency.

Scope

The scope encompasses the provision, delivery, and deployment of an on-premises data archiving infrastructure at a designated Transnet data center. It includes:

• Hardware: Servers, storage systems (34PB effective capacity), network switches, peripherals, and expansion capabilities.
• Software: Licenses for management platforms, backup, recovery, and security features such as ransomware detection and WORM security.
• Services: Implementation, configuration, integration, validation, and comprehensive technical support and maintenance for 36 months post-deployment.
• Migration: Tools and services to migrate existing backup copies to the new archive system.
• Network: Support for high-capacity network switches supporting 48*10GE/25GE and 8*100GE, with virtualization and dual-device deployment for reliability.
• Design & Deployment: Hardware installation, software setup, hardware and software configuration, and skills transfer to Transnet staff.
• Security & Reliability: Support for active-active redundancy, disaster recovery, and security features.

The solution must support long-term data retention (5-10 years), scalability, security, and integration with existing infrastructure, aligning with Transnet’s strategic data management and AI initiatives.

Technical Requirements

• Hardware: On-premises storage with 34PB capacity, support for synchronous/asynchronous replication, active-active dual-controller architecture, expandable disk enclosures, BBU power failure protection, and servers with 24-core CPUs, 100TB disk capacity, and at least 512GB RAM.
• Software & Security: Management platforms, ransomware detection, WORM security, and backup solutions like Veritas NetBackup.
• Network: Support for 48*10GE/25GE and 8*100GE, network virtualization, dual-device deployment, and seamless integration with existing network architecture.
• Reliability & Availability: No single point of failure, automatic failover, and immediate workload switching in case of component failure.
• Implementation & Maintenance: Hardware installation, configuration, software setup, hardware upgrades, OEM hardware maintenance, and support with response times (e.g., response within 30 minutes, spare parts within NBD).
• Security & Compliance: Support for security features, disaster recovery, and compliance with data security standards.

Skills Requirements

• Technical Project Management: Experienced project managers with proven capability to oversee design, deployment, and integration processes.
• Cloud & Storage Specialists: Certified cloud specialists, hardware specialists, and data protection engineers with OEM certifications.
• Migration Experts: Skilled professionals in data migration, backup, and recovery services.
• Security Professionals: Data security and information security specialists with relevant certifications.
• Training & Skills Transfer: Certified trainers capable of delivering comprehensive training to Transnet staff (minimum of 10 personnel).
• Support & Maintenance: OEM-certified support engineers with expertise in hardware, software, and network troubleshooting, capable of providing 24/7 remote support, onsite repairs, and hardware replacements within specified response times.
• Compliance & Security: Professionals familiar with POPIA, data security standards, and disaster recovery planning.