Cloud Native Architecture Migration

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done We are continuing on the architectural journey for one of the department's strategic applications - the micro service based application is currently hosted in the cloud, the infrastructure is provisioned using infrastructure as code with deployments moving through an automated pipeline, we are now seeking to ensure we use our hosting services as economically as possible and to take more advantage of the features cloud computing afford, leveraging cloud native architecture and deployment patterns where appropriate. Problem to Be Solved Current architecture is restricting our ability to make progress on developments to meet some non-functional requirements (NFRs) - such as zero downtime releases. We are also not using the cloud hosting platform as efficiently as we would like and do not yet have an optimal mechanism to allow auto scaling. Who Are the Users The product owners and Senior Leadership Team for the service need to meet NFRs and cost management objectives. Early Market Engagement A study and early proof of concept has indicated that the use of containers as a deployment platform is the preferred approach to adopting a Cloud Native Infrastructure. Work Already Done Work has started by a team from ThoughtWorks, evaluating existing container use within the project and other areas of the Department to assess strengths and weaknesses, work is prioritised to evaluate security monitoring tools and their suitability for inclusion in a pipeline that will deploy containers to run the microservices. This current work is expected to result in a proof of concept pipeline. Existing Team Working as a self managed delivery unit with product ownership provided from within the Department, the team will work alongside a team of Developers, QAs, Infrastructure, DevOps and SRE engineers who run the current platform. The team will be responsible for the development of the new process, the existing team will provide knowledge of the application and existing environment. Current Phase Not applicable Work Location Caxton House, Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NA Working Arrangments On site in Caxton House - all equipment will be provided by DWP. Security Clearance Security Check clearance will be required for all team members. Additional T&Cs Skills & Experience Please provide evidence of experience designing and implementing secure, resilient, highly available configurations of infrastructure and microservice based application components using containers and clustering technoligies within AWS.Weighting: 2% Please supply evidence of experience of automation of cloud deployments and developing infrastructure as code for AWS using terraform. Weighting: 2% Show evidence of experience creating testing frameworks to support cloud native deployments including simulation of failure scenarios. Weighting: 5% Please detail your experience of architecture developments / migrations implemented on existing large microservice based applications. Weighting: 2% Capacity to supply appropriate resources inc BA/Delivery management, DevOps/developers (>3 yrs’ experience), Terraform, docker, kubernetes, AWS, puppet, github, bash, python, java, Mongo, ActiveMQ, jepsen, microservice architectures, commodity cloud environments:5% Show experience of working on significant digital projects within DWP or a comparable organisation within the last 3 years. Weighting: 2% Nice to Haves Show evidence of your ability to provide technical leadership and support governance process as a self managing delivery unit within a Government project. Weighting: 2% No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria Provide details of where your resources have delivered architectural change to a live cloud based system using agile methodologies. 10% Experience working on the evolution of business critical cloud based services for a comparable customer. Please clarify how your resources added value, delivery focus and technical leadership. 10% Projects involving deploying large microservice based apps using containers in AWS supporting zero downtime releases and optimising cloud resource utilisation. Technologies used, any security, other considerations influencing approach taken. 10% Please describe your experience of and approach to ensuring technical aligninment of activities with other parallel work streams across multiple locations, ensuring quality standards are maintained. 5% How have you ensured that you quickly gain a detailed technical understanding of complex systems and of the project requirements to allow rapid involvement in design and decision activities. 5% Cultural Fit Criteria Please provide two examples of similar projects that you have been involved in that demonstrate your ability to respond to and align with the culture of the project. 5% Please describe the challenges presented by operating as a self-managed delivery unit within a broader agile based project team and your approach to ensuring success. 15% Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Case study Work history Reference Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers Budget range