Tunnel Management Method, Tunnel Management Apparatus, and Communications System

Abstract

The present invention relates to communications technologies and discloses a tunnel management method, a tunnel management apparatus, and a communications system so that a node that causes failure of a tunnel management request can be determined. According to the present invention, a response returned by a tunnel management node to an initiating node includes not only a cause value of tunnel management request failure but also information of the node that causes failure of the tunnel management request, so that the initiating node can find the node that causes failure of the tunnel management request and determine the error checking direction. The present invention is applicable to network devices in a communications network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising a core network element and a base station, wherein
 the core network element is configured to:   receive a first tunnel management request; and   send a second tunnel management request to the base station if the core network element processes the first tunnel management request successfully; and   the base station is configured to:
 receive the second tunnel management request; and 
 send a response responsive to the second tunnel management request to the core network element if the base station processes the second tunnel management request unsuccessfully, wherein the response responsive to the second tunnel management request includes a failure indication, 
 wherein the core network element is further configured to receive the response responsive to the second tunnel management request, and send a response responsive to the first tunnel management request to a peer node, wherein the response responsive to the first tunnel management request includes the failure indication and a node indication which identifies the base station. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the response responsive to the second tunnel management request includes the node indication. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the failure indication is a cause value. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the core network element is a mobility management entity (MME). 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the peer node is a packet data gateway (PGW). 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first tunnel management request is a create dedicated bearer request. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein a response responsive to the first tunnel management request triggers changing the base station. 
     
     
         8 . A base station, comprising:
 a transceiver configured to receive a tunnel management request; and   a processor configured to process the tunnel management request;   wherein the transceiver is further configured to send a response responsive to the tunnel management request to a core network element if the processor processes the tunnel management request unsuccessfully, wherein the response includes a failure indication and a node indication which identifies the base station.   
     
     
         9 . The base station according to  claim 8 , wherein the failure indication is a cause value. 
     
     
         10 . The base station according to  claim 8 , wherein the core network element is a mobility management entity (MME). 
     
     
         11 . The base station according to  claim 8 , wherein the base station is an eNodeB. 
     
     
         12 . The base station according to  claim 8 , wherein the tunnel management request is a create bearer request. 
     
     
         13 . A method for tunnel management, comprising:
 receiving, by a core network element, a first tunnel management request;   sending, by the core network element, a second tunnel management request to a base station if the core network element processes the first tunnel management request successfully;   processing, by the base station, the second tunnel management request;   sending, by the base station, a response responsive to the second tunnel management request to the core network element if the base station processes the second tunnel management request unsuccessfully, wherein the response responsive to the second tunnel management request includes a failure indication;   sending, by the core network element, a response responsive to the first tunnel management request to a peer node, wherein the response responsive to the first tunnel management request includes the failure indication and a node indication which identifies the base station.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the response responsive to the second tunnel management request further includes the node indication. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the failure indication is a cause value. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the core network element is a mobility management entity (MME). 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the peer node is a packet data gateway (PGW). 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the first tunnel management request is a create dedicated bearer request. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the response sent to the peer node triggers changing the base station. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the peer node is a node which initiates the first tunnel management request.