HANDOVER OF MOBILITY MANAGEMENT ENTITY FOR LOAD BALANCING

摘要

There is provided a mechanism for executing a handover for a subscriber between mobility management entities for load balancing reasons. A current mobility management entity sends (S10) a handover trigger message to a communication network control element like an eNB for indicating a relocation to the current cell and tracking area of the subscriber. The eNB starts (S20) a handover procedure to itself and sends (S30) a handover required message to the current mobility measurement entity. The current mobility measurement entity continues a handover procedure of a connection for the at least one subscriber from the current mobility management entity to a new mobility management entity, wherein the new mobility management entity is selectable (S40) at the current mobility management entity. The handover procedure can be modified in comparison to a default handover procedure by modifying and/or omitting handover related signaling. After the handover is completed, the new mobility management entity initiates (S60) a location update at a home subscriber server and reallocates the subscriber's UE a new temporary identity and a tracking area list.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising
at least one processor, and at least one memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor, wherein the at least one memory and the instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform: a handover trigger receiving and processing function configured to receive and process a handover trigger message indicating that a change of at least one subscriber attachment from a current mobility management entity to a new mobility management entity is to be executed while a current cell and tracking area of the at least one subscriber is kept unchanged, a handover initiating function configured to initiate a handover of a connection for the at least one subscriber from the current mobility management entity to a new mobility management entity while maintaining the current cell and tracking area of the at least one subscriber, and a handover requirement indicating function configured to create a handover required message and cause transmission of the handover required message to the current mobility management entity, the handover required message indicating a requirement of a relocation of the at least one subscriber to the current cell and tracking area.