A buffer control method, a network element, and a system. The method includes: receiving, by a network element, a flow table message from a controller, where the flow table message includes buffer information of a data packet matching a flow table; processing, by the network element, a buffer of the data packet based on the buffer information, and sending a flow table response message to the controller. In the method, the network element can save, based on a corresponding saving manner, at least one data packet matching the flow table to the buffer corresponding to the flow table. Thus a data flow granularity-based buffer processing manner can be supported in an OpenFlow protocol, and a data buffering requirement of a mobile network can be met.

A buffer control method, a network element, and a system. The method includes: receiving, by a network element, a flow table message from a controller, where the flow table message includes buffer information of a data packet matching a flow table; processing, by the network element, a buffer of the data packet based on the buffer information, and sending a flow table response message to the controller. In the method, the network element can save, based on a corresponding saving manner, at least one data packet matching the flow table to the buffer corresponding to the flow table. Thus a data flow granularity-based buffer processing manner can be supported in an OpenFlow protocol, and a data buffering requirement of a mobile network can be met.

Methods of operating a network function NF node of a communication network are discussed. In such methods a message is received from an access and mobility management function AMF node. Moreover, the message includes information regarding a radio access network RAN node with respect to a communication device. Related methods of operating RAN nodes and AMF nodes are also discussed.

Disclosed is a method performed by a network node (130, 140, 160) of a wireless communication network (100) comprising a first (130) and a second (140) core network node and a first (150) and a second (160) base station (150). A session of a wireless device (170) comprises data packets routed via a plurality of anchor network nodes (115, 120) from a data network (110). In connection with the wireless device (170) handing over from the first base station (150) and the first core network node (130) to the second base station (160) and the second core network node (140), the method comprises receiving information of the number of the plurality of anchor network nodes (115, 120) via which data packets of the session are routed, receiving data packets from the plurality of anchor network nodes (115, 120), receiving an end marker of each of the plurality of anchor network nodes (115, 120), each end marker indicating a last data packet of one of the plurality of anchor network nodes routed via the first core network node (130), and when the number of received end markers equals the number of the plurality of anchor network nodes, triggering to send to the wireless device (170) any data packets related to the session not routed via the first base station stored in a buffer of the second base station.

Disclosed is a method performed by a network node (130, 140, 160) of a wireless communication network (100) comprising a first (130) and a second (140) core network node and a first (150) and a second (160) base station (150). A session of a wireless device (170) comprises data packets routed via a plurality of anchor network nodes (115, 120) from a data network (110). In connection with the wireless device (170) handing over from the first base station (150) and the first core network node (130) to the second base station (160) and the second core network node (140), the method comprises receiving information of the number of the plurality of anchor network nodes (115, 120) via which data packets of the session are routed, receiving data packets from the plurality of anchor network nodes (115, 120), receiving an end marker of each of the plurality of anchor network nodes (115, 120), each end marker indicating a last data packet of one of the plurality of anchor network nodes routed via the first core network node (130), and when the number of received end markers equals the number of the plurality of anchor network nodes, triggering to send to the wireless device (170) any data packets related to the session not routed via the first base station stored in a buffer of the second base station.

The present disclosure proposes network elements (NEs), methods at NEs for facilitating data forwarding, and a telecommunications system comprising the NEs. The method at a first network element for facilitating data forwarding may comprise: receiving, from a second network element, a first message comprising a first indicator indicating that a data forwarding function is supported by the second network element. Further, the first message may be a first request message which requests registering, at the first network element, one or more functions of the second network element comprising the data forwarding function. Further, the method may further comprise transmitting, to the second network element, a first response message comprising a second indicator indicating success of the registration.

The present disclosure proposes network elements (NEs), methods at NEs for facilitating data forwarding, and a telecommunications system comprising the NEs. The method at a first network element for facilitating data forwarding may comprise: receiving, from a second network element, a first message comprising a first indicator indicating that a data forwarding function is supported by the second network element. Further, the first message may be a first request message which requests registering, at the first network element, one or more functions of the second network element comprising the data forwarding function. Further, the method may further comprise transmitting, to the second network element, a first response message comprising a second indicator indicating success of the registration.

The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. A method performed by a first node is provided, comprising determining whether direct data forwarding between a third node and a second node is available, performing direct data forwarding if the direct data forwarding is available, otherwise, performing indirect data forwarding.

The present disclosure provides a method and device for multicast transmission, wherein a method for multicast transmission performed by a first network device includes: receiving a first message for requesting handover from a second network device; transmitting a second message for responding to the first message to the second network device.

Methods, systems, and devices related to mobility management (e.g., reducing transmission delay and interference, and/or increasing transmission reliability) using the unlicensed spectrum are described. In one representative aspect, a method for wireless communication includes receiving, at a wireless communication node, a first message from a mobile device requesting a reestablishment of a network connection; transmitting, from the wireless communication node, a second message to the mobile device, the second message including information for reestablishing and reconfiguring the network connection; and receiving, at the wireless communication node, a third message from the mobile device acknowledging at least one of (1) completing a reestablishment of the network connection, or (2) completing a reconfiguration of the network connection.