Method of directed UE relocation within an MME/SGSN flex pool

1. A support node apparatus configured to support a wireless network system, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store management information indicative of a relationship between one or more identifiers and one or more other support node apparatuses in the wireless network system, the one or more identifiers being in a form of one of a network resource identifier and a globally unique temporary identifier, and the one or more identifiers comprising information indicative of how many simultaneous user equipment devices can be moved from the support node apparatus at a time; and

a processor configured to:

select a target support node apparatus from the one or more other support node apparatuses in the wireless network system for a user equipment;

retrieve, from the management information stored in the memory, a target identifier from the one or more identifiers corresponding to the target support node apparatus; and

associate the user equipment with the target identifier.

2. The support node apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to select the target support node apparatus based on load balancing, and wherein the processor is further configured to process a request for load balancing.

3. The support node apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to associate the user equipment with the target identifier by providing the target identifier for the user equipment to a radio access network.

4. The support node apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more identifiers are in the form of the network resource identifier, and wherein the support node apparatus is configured as a mobility management entity.

5. The support node apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more identifiers are in the form of the globally unique temporary identifier, and wherein the support node apparatus is configured as a serving general packet radio service support node apparatus.

6. The support node apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

process a message from a radio access network, the message associated with another user equipment and an identifier associated with the support node apparatus;

determine a source support node apparatus associated with the message from the one or more other support nodes in the wireless network system; and

transmit a context request to the source support node apparatus.

7. A method for a support node apparatus configured to support a wireless network system, the method comprising:

managing management information indicative of a relationship between one or more identifiers and one or more other support node apparatuses in the wireless network system, the one or more identifiers being in a form of one of a network resource identifier and a globally unique temporary identifier, and the one or more identifiers comprising information indicative of how many simultaneous user equipment devices can be moved from the support node apparatus at a time;

selecting a target support node apparatus from the one or more other support node apparatuses in the wireless network system for a user equipment;

retrieving, from the management information stored in the memory, a target identifier from the one or more identifiers corresponding to the target support node apparatus; and

associating the user equipment with the target identifier.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising processing a request for load balancing, wherein the selecting the target support node is based on the load balancing.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the associating the user equipment with the target identifier comprises providing the target identifier for the user equipment to a radio access network.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more identifiers are in the form of the network resource identifier, and wherein the support node apparatus is configured as a mobility management entity.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more identifiers are in the form of the globally unique temporary identifier, and wherein the support node apparatus is configured as a serving general packet radio service support node apparatus.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

processing a message from a radio access network, the message associated with another user equipment and an identifier associated with the support node apparatus;

determining a source support node apparatus associated with the message from the one or more other support nodes in the wireless network system; and

transmitting a context request to the source support node apparatus.

13. A wireless network system comprising:

one or more radio access networks configured to handle one or more associated user equipment; and

one or more support node apparatuses, each of the one or more support node apparatuses comprising:

a memory configured to store management information indicative of a relationship between one or more identifiers and the one or more other support node apparatuses in the wireless network system, the one or more identifiers being in a form of one of a network resource identifier and a globally unique temporary identifier, and the one or more identifiers comprising information indicative of how many simultaneous user equipment devices can be moved from the support node apparatus at a time;

a processor configured to:

select a target support node apparatus from the one or more other support node apparatuses in the wireless network system for a user equipment from the one or more associated user equipment;

retrieve, from the management information stored in the memory, a target identifier from the one or more identifiers corresponding to the target support node apparatus; and

associate the user equipment with the target identifier.

14. The wireless network system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to select the target support node apparatus based on load balancing, and wherein the processor is further configured to process a request for load balancing.

15. The wireless network system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to associate the user equipment with the target identifier by providing the target identifier for the user equipment to an associated one of the one or more radio access networks, and wherein each of the one or more radio access networks is configured to reassign the user equipment to the target support node apparatus indicated by the target identifier and transmit a message to the target support node apparatus.

16. The wireless network system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more identifiers are in the form of the network resource identifier, and wherein the one or more support node apparatuses are configured as mobility management entities.

17. The wireless network system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more identifiers are in the form of the globally unique temporary identifier, and wherein the one or more support node apparatuses are configured as serving general packet radio service support node apparatuses.

18. The wireless network system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

process a message from a radio access network from the one or more radio access networks, the message associated with another user equipment and an identifier associated with the each of the one or more support node apparatuses;

determine a source support node apparatus associated with the message from the one or more other support nodes in the wireless network; and

transmit a context request to the source support node apparatus.