Gavin

I have but one more question of, say some importance.....Is anyone out there
currently writing an emulator.  I have a strange feeling that months from
now we will still be asking the same questions....and guess what then comes
12/31/2006 and we will still be asking the same questions.

Basically what I'm trying to so delicately say is that the clock is ticking

-----Original Message-----
From: Gavin Scott [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, December 20, 2002 8:54 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: MPE Licensing


Jeff writes:
> 1. Will the version(s) of MPE that runs on the emulator include
> crippling code? If so, will it be possible to upgrade the license
> to get a fully performant version of MPE? If not, GREAT!.

There would be no effective "crippling code" when running MPE on an
emulator.  Besides having to go out of one's way to enable "crippling" on an
emulator, it would be a silly concept since any emulator will be slow enough
on its own without needing any help :-)

> 2. Will the version(s) of MPE that run on the emulator include user
> logon restrictions? If so, will it be possible to upgrade the license
> to remove this restriction? If not, GREAT!

From the technical point of view, this is entirely up to the emulator
manufacturers, though HP could insert things in their license that would
restrict how the user could legally use MPE running on an emulator.

> 3. Will the version of MPE that runs on to the emulator include all
> HP subsystems, including compilers?

Entirely up to HP of course, but if HP does not include approximately
"everything" then someone somewhere will "have to have" some non-included
subsystem and will have to either use it "illegally" or hound HP until they
give/sell them a license for it.  If HP include very few subsystems (no
compilers say) then *everyone* will hound them in this way, so it's
generally in HP's own interest (IMHO) to include all subsystems that anyone
might reasonably need.

> 4. Will I be able to continue to use my existing 3000 in parallel to
> the emulator systems for X months as I test the system before giving
> up my MPE license for the PA-RISC box?  What is X?

For HP to decide of course.

> 5. Will there be a way to demo the emulator without paying the MPE
> license fee?

A very good question and one that is quite critical to the business case for
developing an emulator.  If you can't legally demo it for someone, how can
you sell it effectively?

> 6. Will there be a way to beta test the emulator without paying the
> MPE license fee?

Same as the demo question of course.

> 7. Will HP's MPE license fee be a one time fee or an annual fee?

I don't think anyone would go for an annual fee, since that could allow HP
to refuse to offer renewals at some point in the future, but that's just my
own opinion.

More questions, more or less at random:

For how many years will HP be selling new licenses and/or transfer licenses?

Will HP commit to releasing MPE (in binary form) under a license that allows
free distribution and commercial use in the event that they no longer wish
to deal with the licensing process at some point in the future?

How will the HP license limit the machine(s) that it can run on?
Specifically will the license be specific to an individual machine, or will
the user be free to move the license from one system to another as needed
due to hardware upgrades and disaster recovery operations?

Will the license be transferable (i.e. resalable)?  What would the process
be for transferring such a license, either as a result of a sale or perhaps
the acquisition of the current license holder.  What if HP is no longer in
business at the time?

Will there be a provision of the license that will allow for disaster
recovery testing (periodic non-production testing on an otherwise unlicensed
system at the same time that the production license is in use).

Will the license restrict the use of MPE to HP branded systems?

Will the license attempt to restrict the degree to which a user can modify
MPE itself, either in producing "enhancements" or correcting defects?  Would
a user be legally able to share these enhancements (in some "diff" form or
patch list that would allow another user to apply the same change to their
system).

How will MPE be distributed to licensees?  Will it be legal to use existing
copies of MPE already in the licensee's possession?  How about tapes
borrowed from another user?  What provisions will there be for "media
replacement" if the official distribution is lost or damaged?

Will the license cover all versions of MPE, or a specific set of versions,
or a special version distinct from those that run on "real" HPe3000s?

Will the license cover MPE/V :-)

G.