Ordering tracing of wireless terminal activities

Abstract

According to the invention a core network management device in a core network section (CN) of the wireless network (WN) receives a request for a tracing regarding a wireless terminal. The request includes an address of a destination device that is to receive trace log data or data enabling the locating of the address. The core network management device then automatically orders, based on the request, network elements of an access network section (AN) of the wireless network (WN) to perform tracing regarding the wireless terminal and ensures that the trace log data is sent to the destination trace log data handling device. The request with the address may be sent from an access network management device in the access network section (AN).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for tracing activities of at least one wireless terminal in a wireless network, comprising:
 receiving, in a core network management device, at least one request for tracing activities of at least one wireless terminal; and   instructing, based on the at least one request, at least one wireless access point handling device to:
 perform tracing of activities of the at least one wireless terminal; and 
 send trace log data associated with the at least one request to a destination trace log data handling device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one request comprise an address of the destination trace log data handling device for sending the trace log data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises ensuring that information is sent to the destination trace log data handling device regarding identities of at least one node that keeps the trace log data associated with the at least one request. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the core network management device is provided in a core network section of the wireless network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wireless access point handling device is provided in an access network section of the wireless network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one request comprises one of:
 an address of a destination trace log data handling device that is to receive trace log data associated with the at least one requests; and   data enabling the locating of the address.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the log data indicates activities of a given wireless terminal of the at least one wireless terminal related to handover. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the log data indicates activities of a given wireless terminal of the at least one wireless terminal related to speech quality. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one request indicates an extent of tracing which is to be performed by the at least one wireless access point handling device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one request indicates an extent of tracing by limiting the tracing to a subset of a plurality of wireless access point handling devices in the wireless network;
 wherein the instructing the at least one wireless access point handling device to perform the tracing comprising instructing the subset to perform the tracing; and   wherein the subset comprises multiple wireless access point handling devices.   
     
     
         11 . A core network management device, comprising:
 at least one interface configured to receive at least one request for tracing activities of at least one wireless terminal; and   a network trace management circuit configured to instruct, based on the at least one request, at least one wireless access point handling device to:
 perform tracing of activities of the at least one wireless terminal; and 
 send trace log data associated with the at least one request to a destination trace log data handling device. 
   
     
     
         12 . The core network managing device of  claim 11 , wherein the core network managing device is a core network managing device of a Universal Mobile Telecommunications (UMTS), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or Long Term Evolution (LTE) core network. 
     
     
         13 . The core network managing device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one request comprises an address of the destination trace log data handling device for sending the trace log data. 
     
     
         14 . The core network managing device of  claim 11 , wherein the network trace management circuit is further configured to ensure that information is sent to the destination trace log data handling device regarding identities of at least one node that keeps the trace log data associated with the at least one request. 
     
     
         15 . The core network managing device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one wireless access point handling device is provided in an access network section of the wireless network. 
     
     
         16 . The core network managing device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one request comprises one of:
 an address of a destination trace log data handling device that is to receive trace log data associated with the at least one request; and   data enabling the locating of the address.   
     
     
         17 . The core network managing device of  claim 11 , wherein the log data indicates activities of a given wireless terminal of the at least one wireless terminal related to handover. 
     
     
         18 . The core network managing device of  claim 11 , wherein the log data indicates activities of a given wireless terminal of the at least one wireless terminal related to speech quality. 
     
     
         19 . The core network managing device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one request indicates an extent of tracing which is to be performed by the at least one wireless access point handling device. 
     
     
         20 . The core network managing device of  claim 19 ,
 wherein the at least one request indicates an extent of tracing by limiting the tracing to a subset of a plurality of wireless access point handling devices in the wireless network;   wherein the instructing multiple wireless access point handling devices to perform the tracing comprising instructing the subset to perform the tracing; and   wherein the subset comprises multiple wireless access point handling devices.