Important note:  We will be capturing the FAQ part of this thread and
posting it to the OpenMPE web site.  It will be updated with new questions
and revisions to HP's answers as they become available and/or change.

Thanx,
        Jon
-----Original Message-----
From: OpenMPE Support Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Mike Paivinen
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 3:23 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [OPENMPE] MPE/iX Licensing and Distribution for an Emulated
Environment

..........................................................

FAQ
---


1.      What is the price for MPE/iX?

A.  HP intends to sell MPE/iX and certain HP MPE/iX add-on
subsystems for approximately $500 USD.


2.      When can I buy MPE for this price?

A.  HP intends to offer MPE/iX and the extra add-on subsystems in
the early 2004 timeframe.


3.      What if one or more emulators are completed prior to the early
2004 date, will HP consider moving this date up?

A.  This 2004 time period reflects HP's current intent. Please do
not assume an earlier date.


4.      Under what terms will MPE/iX be licensed?

A.  HP intends to create new license terms for MPE/iX that differ
from the current license terms.  The purchaser (licensee) will be
granted the right to use MPE/iX and certain add-on subsystems, as
long as MPE/iX is run in an emulated environment that is hosted
on an HP platform. The licensee will not own MPE/iX or the HP
add-on subsystems. HP intends to license MPE/iX "As-Is".


5.      How can I buy MPE?

A.  This has not been decided at this time, but we hope to offer
MPE/iX and certain subsystems via an HP Web site. The customer
should be able to purchase MPE/iX online, download the OS, or
have it shipped on CD.


6.      Which MPE/iX add-on subsystems are included?

A.  HP intends to bundle all of the HP proprietary MPE/iX add-on
subsystems after the end-of-support date. Prior to this date,
some add-on subsystems may be bundled into the Fundamental
Operating System (FOS), and others may be available at an extra
cost. HP has not yet determined which add-on subsystems will be
included in FOS.


7.      Are obsolete subsystems, such as BRW, included?

A.  BRW is not obsolete; however, at this time HP has not
decided which, if any, obsolete add-on subsystems will be
bundled with MPE/iX.


8.      Are expensive subsystems, such as 24x7 TurboStore included?

A.  This has not been decided at this time.


9.      If a customer buys a used e3000 without any add-on subsystems,
can they buy MPE to get some of the subsystems for $500?

A.  No, the new MPE license will not allow MPE to be used in a
native (non-emulated) environment.


10.     Will the AIF Procedure Exits (AIF:PE) be included with
MPE/iX?

A.  Yes.


11.     Who is the licensee – the individual that purchases MPE or
the company/entity they work for?

A. The company/entity who employs the individual will be the
licensee, and will be the party that enters into the end user
license terms with HP.  In very limited cases an individual may
be a licensee.


12.     What does the "AS-IS" clause mentioned in the new MPE
license mean, and why has this been added to the new license?

A.  This clause means that HP will not provide a warranty or
provide support for MPE/iX under the license agreement. The end
user will be responsible for supporting MPE/iX and uses MPE/iX at
his or her own risk.


13.     Why does the new MPE license require me to run MPE on HP
hardware?

A.  HP offers a wide range of Windows-, Linux-, and HP-UX-based
systems that would make suitable host platforms for an emulated
environment.  Note:  not all of these systems may be able to
host an emulated environment depending on the choices made by
the emulator vendors.


14.     Does the new MPE license allow me to run MPE on an e3000?

A.  No, the new license covers an emulated environment only.


15.     Does the new MPE license allow me to run MPE on a 9000?

A.  HP intends the new license to allow a user to run MPE/iX on a
9000 but only in an emulated environment. If it became possible
to run MPE/iX natively on PA-RISC 9000 series platforms, this new
MPE/iX license would not grant the licensee the right to do so
without changes to its terms and conditions.


16.     What happens if no one creates a PA-RISC emulator?

A.  This new license would not be offered.


17.     Will the emulator vendors be allowed to offer a longer
demonstration period for potential customers to do thorough
testing of the emulator running MPE?

A.  No, an emulator customer is expected to purchase MPE/iX at
the full price. The customer needs to bear in mind that the
purchase of MPE/iX will be non-refundable and the license is non-
transferable. This is true even if the customer decides not to
buy the emulator.


18.     Why do I have to pay for MPE before I've decided to buy an
emulator, and why can't I get a refund if I decide not to
purchase the emulator?

A.  HP plans to sell MPE/iX for significantly less than the
previous price, which ranged from tens of thousands to several
hundred thousand dollars. At the proposed price of $500, HP needs
to keep the process as simple as possible, which means no license
transfers, no refunds, and no special licenses for demo purposes.
Please keep in mind that HP expects that an end user can keep the
copy of MPE/iX and use it later in an emulated environment.


19.     Why can't the new MPE license be transferred to a new
owner, as can be done today?

A.  HP's goal is to have the licensing of MPE/iX be simple and
automated. The anticipated low price for MPE/iX reflects this
goal.


20.     If my company simply changes its name do we need to buy new
copies of MPE?

A.  HP currently believes the answer is no, provided a company
shows sufficient documentation indicating the name change.


21.     If my company, "A", has an agent relationship with company
"B", can I purchase MPE in the name of company "B" so that it
might be bundled with other services I provide?

A.  HP currently believes the answer is no, the end user/entity
must directly agree with HP's terms and conditions stated in the
MPE/iX license. HP plans to sell MPE/iX directly to the end
customer, without the assistance of channel partners.


22.     If my company acquires another company that has hundreds of
copies of MPE and the licenses to run MPE on emulators, am I
required to get a new MPE license for all of these copies of MPE?
Or, can I use MPE since I will have all of the assets and
contracts of the purchased company?

A.  An end user will not be able to transfer the software even in
an acquisition. You will be required to purchase new copies of
MPE/iX with your company being the licensee. Today, in the same
scenario described above, you are required to go through HP's
standard software license transfer process.  However, under the
new MPE/iX license, it is expected that a licensee will be
prohibited from transferring the license.  Thus new copies must be
purchased.


23.     I have an e3000 today complete with a valid MPE/iX license,
and I want to run MPE on the emulator -- what are my choices?

A.  You may buy a new copy of MPE/iX to run on a PA-RISC emulator
and keep your e3000 fully functional. There have also been
discussions around a "load and go" approach for obtaining MPE/iX
and the supplied MPE/iX subsystems. This idea could involve
transferring MPE/iX to the host platform via disk imaging, or by
physically moving the disk drives from the e3000 to the host
platform. At this time, HP has not decided how we will handle the
licensing implications in cases where MPE/iX is not purchased,
but rather obtained from an existing e3000.


24.     What happened to the idea of a transfer license for MPE
from an e3000 to an emulated environment?

A.  At the proposed price of $500, HP needs to keep the process
as simple as possible, which means no license transfers.


25.     If I buy a new HP platform on which to host the emulator,
can I move MPE from my existing emulated environment to the new
host?

A.  Once you have the new MPE/iX license, you may move MPE/iX from
one emulated host platform to another, subject to the terms and
conditions of the license, and without involving HP.
Note: a "move" means the original copy of MPE/iX is fully deleted
from the originating platform.


26.     Is the new MPE license tied to a particular release of MPE?

A.  No.

27.     If I already have a copy of MPE/iX and this new license, is
there a lower priced update to MPE/iX that I can purchase rather
than paying for a full release?

A.  No, HP intends that there will be only one price for MPE/iX
and the add-on, bundled subsystems. To obtain a newer version of
MPE/iX you must buy it.


28.     Does an MPE license require periodic renewal?

A.  No, HP plans to have the license terms grant the end user a
perpetual license, subject to the end user's compliance with the
terms of the license.


29.     Will the emulator companies be required to reduce the CPU
clock speed (throttling) to conform to certain models of the
e3000?

A.  No, the emulator vendors are free to emulate any model of an
e3000, including a fully functional, unlimited-user, and
unlimited-process system.


30.     How is an ISV protected if HPSUSAN and HPCPUNAME can be set
by emulator companies to any value?

A.  These details need to be worked out between the emulator
vendors and the ISVs. At this time HP has no plans to require
emulator companies to maintain certain values for HPSUSAN or
HPCPUNAME.


31.     Where can I find more information about this emulator concept,
and who are the main companies looking at it right now?

A.  Please see the emulator pages which will be hosted on the
openmpe.org web site.