I appreciate your point - that may be the underlying reality. But there is a lot of print devoted to the two parties paying each other money and agreeing to hold each other blameless. I read an article somewhere (I think it was Lee Gomes in the WSJ) who said that this was more about MS strengthening the hand of the weak sister (Novell) to the possible detriment of the stronger brother (Red Hat). Of course Oracle is going after Red Hat in a different way.
I confess to having no idea of what the *real* agenda or agendas are. Could be it's all of the above including your points, and then even more besides!
It's pretty straightforward. Novell and Microsoft and SCO represent the original PC server software companies, and they want to be make money from the new "free" PC server operating system if possible. Unfortunately for them, it was mostly created by a bunch of anti-capitalist "free software" fanatics, who want to put them out of business instead. These two opposing forces are now separating, by the announcement of this deal, and the forthcoming GPLv3 license by free software leader "RMS". One side capitalist, one side anti-capitalist. But only the capitalists are the ones with capital, of course, in all its different forms.