Objectives

The primary objective of this RFI is to gather information from the market regarding current hypervisor solutions that can support SABC's existing infrastructure and future needs. Specifically, it aims to evaluate hypervisor options that are compatible with legacy applications, support on-premises storage, and align with SABC's strategic goals for virtualization, scalability, and cost-efficiency.

Scope

The scope of this RFI includes:

• Managing and balancing computing load and capacity (CPU and memory) across hypervisors within a virtual cluster, with automated configuration options and scheduled adjustments (e.g., every 5 to 60 minutes).
• Automatic migration of virtual machines to hypervisors with available resources.
• High Availability (HA) cluster functionality to mitigate hardware failures and ensure continuous operation of virtual machines.
• Memory load balancing across hypervisors to maintain high performance.
• Virtualization of multiple networks and support for multiple SAN storage arrays, including virtual SAN configurations managed via centralized management tools.
• Support for licensing models, whether perpetual or subscription-based.
• Reporting tools for CPU, memory, network, and disk utilization, including live dashboards for real-time performance monitoring.
• Support for hot-add features such as virtual CPU, memory, and virtual hard disks.
• Compatibility with vendor appliances like Hitachi OPS Center, HP iLO Amplifier, and others.
• Certification requirements including HPE (DL 380 Series Gen12), Hitachi SAN Storage, Brocade SAN switches, and support for iSCSI SAN/NAS technologies.
• Provision of demonstration, installation, configuration, testing, and data migration plans from VMware to the proposed solution.
• Training for SABC administrators on the proposed virtualization platform.
• Information on the footprint of the solution in South Africa and a client list.

Technical Requirements

The proposed virtualization solution must meet the following technical specifications:

• Support for automated load balancing of CPU and memory, with scheduled adjustments.
• High Availability (HA) clustering capabilities.
• Memory load balancing across hypervisors.
• Virtualization of multiple networks and SAN storage configurations.
• Support for licensing models (perpetual or subscription).
• Real-time reporting and live dashboards for resource utilization.
• Hot-add features for CPU, memory, and virtual disks.
• Compatibility with specific vendor appliances and hardware, including HPE DL 380 Series Gen12 servers, Hitachi SAN Storage, and Brocade SAN switches.
• Support for iSCSI SAN/NAS technologies.
• Provision of a comprehensive setup, installation, configuration, testing, and migration plan.
• Formal training for at least two SABC administrators.

Skills Requirements

Respondents should demonstrate:

• Expertise in virtualization technologies and hypervisor management.
• Experience with high availability and load balancing solutions.
• Knowledge of SAN storage and network virtualization, including iSCSI SAN/NAS.
• Capability to provide demonstrations, detailed documentation, and migration plans.
• Ability to deliver formal training and support for system administrators.
• Understanding of vendor-specific hardware and software certifications, particularly HPE, Hitachi, and Brocade products.
• Proven track record in deploying and supporting enterprise virtualization solutions within South Africa or similar environments.