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

MPS creation by a Manager: To obtain the mpsIndex 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 mpsIndex. 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 mpsNextIndex 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.

MPS creation by an Agent: When a row in the mpsConfigTable 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 mpsIndexes must be preserved. In other words, the Agent should store in non-volatile memory all the currently used mpsIndexes (along with all necessary configuration information from the mpsConfigTable). When the agent is re-initialized, the mpsNextIndex value is any valid Integer32 which is not being used as an mpsIndex, except 0 which maintains its original definition of indicating that a row cannot be created.