Method and apparatus for initiating and maintaining sessions between endpoints

1. A method for re-anchoring a transport layer session in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, a request to re-anchor the transport layer session, wherein a transport layer session re-anchor in accordance with the request comprises transferring the transport layer session from a first address to a second address without tearing down the transport layer session, wherein the first address is assigned by a first access point, wherein the second address is assigned by a second access point;

sending, by the at least one processor to a peer, a packet notifying of the transport layer session re-anchor, wherein the packet includes a header with a session identifier field, and a record type field that indicates that a payload of the packet comprises transport layer session re-anchor information, wherein the packet is encoded with a session key that was negotiated during a setup of the transport layer session; and

receiving, by the at least one processor, a confirmation of the packet notifying of the transport layer session re-anchor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packet includes the second address to which subsequent packets should be sent by the peer.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending a further packet via the second address in accordance with the transport layer session re-anchor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a further packet via the second address in accordance with the transport layer session re-anchor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the confirmation is received from the peer.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

releasing a previous connection when the confirmation is received.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the session identifier field is one of a plurality of session identifier fields, the plurality of session identifier fields including a requesting system session identifier field and a serving system session identifier field.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the record type field is for indicating a type of data contained in the payload of the packet.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed by an endpoint device comprising the at least one processor.

10. A method for re-anchoring a transport layer session in a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, a packet comprising a notification of a transport layer session re-anchor from a peer, the packet having a header with a session identifier field, and a record type field indicating that a payload of the packet comprises transport layer session re-anchor information, wherein the packet is encoded with a session key that was negotiated during a setup of the transport layer session, wherein the transport layer session re-anchor comprises transferring the transport layer session from a first address of the peer to a second address of the peer without tearing down the transport layer session, wherein the first address is assigned by a first access point, wherein the second address is assigned by a second access point;

updating, by the at least one processor, a session management table to include the second address of the peer, wherein the transport layer session re-anchor information comprises the second address of the peer; and

communicating, by the at least one processor, with the peer using the second address.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the communicating comprises:

receiving a further packet from the peer via the second address.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the communicating comprises:

sending a further packet to the peer via the second address.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

sending a confirmation to the peer at the first address, in response to the notification of the transport layer session re-anchor.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sending is performed prior to the updating of the session management table.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the session identifier field is one of a plurality of session identifier fields, the plurality of session identifier fields including a requesting system session identifier field and a serving system session identifier field.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the record type field is for indicating a type of data contained in the payload of the packet.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for re-anchoring a transport layer session in a communication network, the operations comprising:

receiving a request to re-anchor the transport layer session, wherein a transport layer session re-anchor in accordance with the request comprises transferring the transport layer session from a first address to a second address without tearing down the transport layer session, wherein the first address is assigned by a first access point, wherein the second address is assigned by a second access point;

sending, to a peer, a packet notifying of the transport layer session re-anchor, wherein the packet includes a header with a session identifier field, and a record type field that indicates that a payload of the packet comprises transport layer session re-anchor information, wherein the packet is encoded with a session key that was negotiated during a setup of the transport layer session; and

receiving a confirmation of the packet notifying of the transport layer session re-anchor.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the packet includes the second address to which subsequent packets should be sent by the peer.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising:

sending a further packet via the second address in accordance with the transport layer session re-anchor.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving a further packet via the second address in accordance with the transport layer session re-anchor.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the confirmation is received from the peer.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising: releasing a previous connection when the confirmation is received.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the session identifier field is one of a plurality of session identifier fields, the plurality of session identifier fields including a requesting system session identifier field and a serving system session identifier field.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the record type field is for indicating a type of data contained in the payload of the packet.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method is performed by an endpoint device comprising the at least one processor.

26. An apparatus for re-anchoring a transport layer session in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a request to re-anchor the transport layer session, wherein a transport layer session re-anchor in accordance with the request comprises transferring the transport layer session from a first address to a second address without tearing down the transport layer session, wherein the first address is assigned by a first access point, wherein the second address is assigned by a second access point;

sending, to a peer, a packet notifying of the transport layer session re-anchor, wherein the packet includes a header with a session identifier field, and a record type field that indicates that a payload of the packet comprises transport layer session re-anchor information, wherein the packet is encoded with a session key that was negotiated during a setup of the transport layer session; and

receiving a confirmation of the packet notifying of the transport layer session re-anchor.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the packet includes the second address to which subsequent packets should be sent by the peer.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 , the operations further comprising:

sending a further packet via the second address in accordance with the transport layer session re-anchor.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 , the operations further comprising:

receiving a further packet via the second address in accordance with the transport layer session re-anchor.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the confirmation is received from the peer.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 , the operations further comprising:

releasing a previous connection when the confirmation is received.

32. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the session identifier field is one of a plurality of session identifier fields, the plurality of session identifier fields including a requesting system session identifier field and a serving system session identifier field.

33. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the record type field is for indicating a type of data contained in the payload of the packet.

34. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the method is performed by an endpoint device comprising the at least one processor.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for re-anchoring a transport layer session in a communication network, the operations comprising:

receiving a packet comprising a notification of a transport layer session re-anchor from a peer, the packet having a header with a session identifier field, and a record type field indicating that a payload of the packet comprises transport layer session re-anchor information, wherein the packet is encoded with a session key that was negotiated during a setup of the transport layer session, wherein the transport layer session re-anchor comprises transferring the transport layer session from a first address of the peer to a second address of the peer without tearing down the transport layer session, wherein the first address is assigned by a first access point, wherein the second address is assigned by a second access point;

updating a session management table to include the second address of the peer, wherein the transport layer session re-anchor information comprises the second address of the peer; and

communicating with the peer using the second address.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 35 , wherein the communicating comprises:

receiving a further packet from the peer via the second address.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 35 , wherein the communicating comprises:

sending a further packet to the peer via the second address.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 35 , further comprising:

sending a confirmation to the peer at the first address, in response to the notification of the transport layer session re-anchor.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 38 , wherein the sending is performed prior to the updating of the session management table.

40. An apparatus for re-anchoring a transport layer session in a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a packet comprising a notification of a transport layer session re-anchor from a peer, the packet having a header with a session identifier field, and a record type field indicating that a payload of the packet comprises transport layer session re-anchor information, wherein the packet is encoded with a session key that was negotiated during a setup of the transport layer session, wherein the transport layer session re-anchor comprises transferring the transport layer session from a first address of the peer to a second address of the peer without tearing down the transport layer session, wherein the first address is assigned by a first access point, wherein the second address is assigned by a second access point;

updating a session management table to include the second address of the peer, wherein the transport layer session re-anchor information comprises the second address of the peer; and

communicating with the peer using the second address.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 , wherein the communicating comprises:

receiving a further packet from the peer via the second address.

42. The apparatus of claim 40 , wherein the communicating comprises:

sending a further packet to the peer via the second address.

43. The apparatus of claim 40 , the operations further comprising:

sending a confirmation to the peer at the first address, in response to the notification of the transport layer session re-anchor.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein the sending is performed prior to the updating of the session management table.