This object contains an appropriate value to be used for mpcIndex when creating entries in the mpcConfigTable. The value 0 indicates that no new rows can be created. Otherwise, it is recommended that values are assigned contiguously, starting from 1.

MPC creation by a Manager: To obtain the mpcIndex value for a new entry, the manager issues a management protocol retrieval operation to obtain the current value of this object. If the value retrieved is 0 (zero), the manager cannot create a row.

After each retrieval of a non-zero value, the manager should issue a management protocol SET operation using the value just retrieved. If the SET is successful, the agent should update the value to the next unassigned index, or zero if appropriate.

NOTE: the manager may also issue a set on this object with a value of its own choosing. If the set is successful, the manager may use this value for the mpcIndex. In this case, the agent would update the value to the next unassigned index, or zero if appropriate. The definition of `next unassigned index' is any mpcNextIndex value that has not yet been set by a manager, or reserved by the agent (see next paragraph), since this agent was last re-initialized.

MPC creation by an Agent: When a row in the mpcConfigTable is created by an agent, the agent should reserve the value of the index by updating the value of this object to the next unassigned index or zero if appropriate. Thus, a manager will not be able to set an index reserved by an agent.

In the situation of an agent re-initialization, all currently used mpcIndexes must be preserved. In other words, the Agent should store in non-volatile memory all of the currently used mpcIndexes (along with all necessary configuration information from the mpcConfigTable). When the agent is re-initialized, the mpcNextIndex value is any valid Integer32 value which is not being used as an mpcIndex, except 0 which maintains its original definition of indicating that a row cannot be created.