Network-initiated recovery from a text message delivery failure

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a message service center, a message for termination at a user equipment;

receiving, by the message service center from a home location register (HLR), routing information to a first visitor location register (VLR) associated with the user equipment;

receiving, by the message service center, a delivery report indicating that the first VLR is unreachable; and

transmitting, by the message service center to the HLR, a delivery outcome message indicating an absent subscriber to the HLR to cause the HLR to initiate a reattach procedure between the user equipment and a second VLR, wherein the reattach procedure includes:

transmitting, by the HLR to a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a cancel location request including a cancellation type indicating to only reattach to the second VLR; and

receiving, by the HLR from the MME, a cancel location answer from the MME.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a reattach request indicating for the user equipment to reattach for packet-switched services and non-packet-switched services.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating the delivery outcome message to include absent subscriber diagnostic information indicating that the first VLR is unreachable.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the HLR to the MME, an insert subscriber data request including information subscribing the HLR to a reachability status of the user equipment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

updating, by the HLR, messages waiting data to include an address of the message service center;

setting, by the HLR, a mobile not reachable flag to true; and

updating, by the HLR, mobile not reachable diagnostic information to indicate an absent subscriber.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving, by the HLR, an indication that the user equipment is reachable;

clearing, by the HLR, the mobile not reachable flag and the mobile not reachable diagnostic information; and

alerting, by the HLR, the message service center that the user equipment is reachable to cause the message service center to resend the message to the user equipment.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the MME, an SGs null state between the user equipment and the first VLR;

transmitting, by the MME to the user equipment, a detach request indicating International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) detach;

receiving, by the MME from the user equipment, a combined tracking area/location area update request with IMSI attach;

transmitting, by the MME to the second VLR, a location update request;

receiving, by the MME from the second VLR, a location update accept message; and

transmitting, by the MME to the user equipment, a tracking area update accept message.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the message service center is associated with a circuit-switched domain and the user equipment is associated with a packet-switched domain.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

updating messages waiting data to include an address of the message service center;

receiving an indication that the user equipment is reachable; and

alerting the message service center that the user equipment is reachable to cause the message service center to resend the message to the user equipment.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a message for termination at a user equipment;

receive, from a home location register (HLR), routing information to a first visitor location register (VLR) associated with the user equipment;

receive a delivery report indicating that the first VLR is unreachable; and

transmit to the HLR a delivery outcome message indicating an absent subscriber to the HLR to cause the HLR to initiate a reattach procedure between the user equipment and a second VLR, wherein the reattach procedure includes causing the HLR to:

transmit a cancel location request to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) including a cancellation type indicating to only reattach to a second VLR; and

receive a cancel location answer from the MME.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to:

generate the delivery outcome message to include absent subscriber diagnostic information indicating that the first VLR is unreachable.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to:

transmit to the MME an insert subscriber data request including information subscribing the HLR to a reachability status of the user equipment.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to:

update messages waiting data to include an address of the system;

set a mobile not reachable flag to true; and

update mobile not reachable diagnostic information to indicate an absent subscriber.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the system to:

receive an indication that the user equipment is reachable;

clear the mobile not reachable flag and the mobile not reachable diagnostic information; and

alert the system that the user equipment is reachable to cause the system to resend the message to the user equipment.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to:

determine an SGs null state between the user equipment and the first VLR;

transmit to the user equipment a detach request indicating International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) detach;

receive from the user equipment a combined tracking area/location area update request with IMSI attach;

transmit a location update request to the second VLR;

receive a location update accept message from the second VLR; and

transmit a tracking area update accept message to the user equipment.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to:

update messages waiting data to include an address of the system;

receive an indication that the user equipment is reachable; and

alert the system that the user equipment is reachable to cause the system to resend the message to the user equipment.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a message for termination at a user equipment;

receive, from a home location register (HLR), routing information to a first visitor location register (VLR) associated with the user equipment;

receive a delivery report indicating that the first VLR is unreachable; and

transmit to the HLR a delivery outcome message indicating an absent subscriber to the HLR to cause the HLR to initiate a reattach procedure between the user equipment and a second VLR, wherein the reattach procedure includes causing the HLR to:

transmit a cancel location request to a Mobility Management Entity (MME) including a cancellation type indicating to only reattach to a second VLR; and

receive a cancel location answer from the MME.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to:

update messages waiting data to include an address of a message service center;

receive an indication that the user equipment is reachable; and

alert the message service center that the user equipment is reachable to cause the message service center to resend the message to the user equipment.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to:

determine an SGs null state between the user equipment and the first VLR;

transmit to the user equipment a detach request indicating International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) detach;

receive from the user equipment a combined tracking area/location area update request with IMSI attach;

transmit a location update request to the second VLR;

receive a location update accept message from the second VLR; and

transmit a tracking area update accept message to the user equipment.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the one or more processors to:

update messages waiting data to include an address of a message service center;

set a mobile not reachable flag to true;

update mobile not reachable diagnostic information to indicate an absent subscriber;

receive an indication that the user equipment is reachable;

clear the mobile not reachable flag and the mobile not reachable diagnostic information; and

alert the message service center that the user equipment is reachable to cause the message service center to resend the message to the user equipment.