Patent ID: 6898425

Claim:
A method of configuring an interface between a serving GPRS support node and a base station system in a communication network supporting general packet radio service, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a signal from the base station system to the serving GPRS support node requesting allocation of a new network service entity identifier; automatically allocating first network service entity identifier according to a predefined rule ensuring that the first network service entity identifier is unique within the serving GPRS support node; automatically initiating data structures in the serving GPRS support node and data structures in the base station system by registering the allocated first network service entity identifier in said data structures; transmitting a cancellation signal, from the base station system to the serving GPRS support node, indicating cancellation of at least one BSSGP virtual connection associated with the first network service entity identifier; updating, upon receiving the cancellation signal at the serving GPRS support node, the data structures in the serving GPRS support node to reflect that the at least one BSSGP virtual connection has been cancelled.