The OpenMPE session, at HP World, was held yesterday (9/25) at 4:00 PM
(PST).  There was well over 100 people in the audience and the HP
presentation / discussion consumed the entire two hours.  The following is a
brief recap of the announcements that were made by HP.

"Self-Support beyond End-Of-Support (EOS)"
* Access e3000 information, tools, & freeware
 - Continue to provide e3000 manuals/documentation on either docs.hp.com or
via third party.
 - Move e3000-specific content of ITRC that requires support contracts
to "free" area.
 - Continue to provide Jazz content on either hp.com or via third party.
* Apply patches
 - Continue to provide patches on ITRC; specific OS releases to be determined.
* Diagnose hardware
 - Provide access to e3000 diagnostics via published password or password
removal.

"Hardware Flexibility"
* Modify platform hardware
 - Provide new and/or remarketed A/N Class hardware add-ons after 2003 (CPUs,
embedded disks, memory, I/O, and network cards).
 - Install remarketed or used e3000 boards at Time & Materials through EOS
(under investigation after that).
 - Continue software license transfer process.
 - Extend 3000 -> 9000 conversion kits through 2006.
* Acquire new peripherals
 - Provide new/or remarketed external storage for A/N Class after 2003,
limited by supply and demand.
 - Enhance MPE/iX to mount "big" disks.
 - Improve capabilities of SCSI pass-thru driver.
* Integrate MPE/iX environments with changing IT infrastructure (e.g.
networking, storage)
 - Provide new/or remarketed external storage for A/N Class after 2003,
limited by supply and demand.

"Software Flexibility"
* Enhance software capabilities
 - Extend 9x8, 9x9, 99x user license upgrades through 2006.
 - Extend availability of MPE/iX add-on software products through 2006.
* Update the operating system
 - Investigate process for the distribution of MPE release tapes after EOS.

"Software & Hardware Support"
* Extend support of MPE/iX 6.5 through 2004.
* Extend support of all 9x8, 9x9KS, 99x through 2006.
* Investigate role of 3rd party partners might play in providing support after
HP's EOS.

"PA-RISC Platform Emulator"
* HP will allow emulator(s) to move forward
 - HP will NOT create a PA-RISC emulator.
 - If a PA-RISC emulator or emulators appear is up to the 3rd party companies
that may choose to do so.
* MPE license transfers and the creation of new licenses will be available
* Fees and the process for licenses are still to be determined

"No Current Plans"
* No plans to enable 9000s to be converted to 3000s
* No plans to release an "Open Source" version of MPE
* No plans to make SSCONFIG publicly available
* No plans to make MPE/iX 7.0 or 7.5 available on 9x7 hardware
* No plans to increase the performance level of existing platforms.

"Gang-of-Six Recap"
1) Remove or publish passwords for MPE-unique system utilities no later then
2006 - YES
2) Enable MPE license transfers/upgrades and hardware reconfiguration to
continue after 2006 for emulator usage, changing user license levels,
acquiring used e3000 systems, etc. - INVESTIGATION (partial 'yes', see above)
3) Allow 3rd party creation of an emulator - YES
4) Allow non-HP access to and escrow of MPE source code - INVESTIGATION
5) Enable availability of all public documentation after 2006 - YES
6) Enable 3rd party e3000 software support after 2006 - INVESTIGATION

   There was much discussion in and among the presentation.  I will try to
para-phrase the question in a later email.  The discussion is expected to
continue forward here in the OpenMPE list.  So, what are your reactions and
thoughts?

Thanx,
   Jon Backus