This object contains the next appropriate value to be used for mplsTunnelResourceIndex when creating entries in the mplsTunnelResourceTable. If the number of unassigned entries is exhausted, a retrieval operation will return a value of 0. This object may also return a value of 0 when the LSR is unable to accept conceptual row creation, for example, if the mplsTunnelTable is implemented as read-only. To obtain the mplsTunnelResourceIndex value for a new entry, the manager must first issue a management protocol retrieval operation to obtain the current value of this object.

When the SET is performed to create a row in the mplsTunnelResourceTable, the Command Responder (agent) must determine whether the value is indeed still unused; Two Network Management Applications may attempt to create a row (configuration entry) simultaneously and use the same value. If it is currently unused, the SET succeeds and the Command Responder (agent) changes the value of this object, according to an implementation-specific algorithm. If the value is in use, however, the SET fails. The Network Management Application must then re-read this variable to obtain a new usable value.