Abstract: A method and system for restoring a subscriber context in a network element of a mobile communication network is described, wherein a new subscriber context which has been updated after the latest restart is indicated by transmitting a corresponding restart information to the network element. Based on the restart information the network element continues the use of new subscriber contexts updated after the latest restart and inactivates old subscriber contexts updated before the latest restart. Thereby, the amount of unnecessary subscriber context re-activations and the corresponding downtime of the service is reduced. Moreover, the amount of signaling required after the restart is reduced, since a smaller number of subscriber contexts have to be re-established.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for arranging the transfer of packets between a wireless data transfer device (MS) and a mobile communication network (NW). For transferring packets between the wireless data transfer device (MS) and the mobile communication network (NW), temporary block flows (UL TBF, DL TBF) are formed, and information is transferred in these block flows in one ore more packet data traffic channels (PDTCH) either in the first direction from the mobile communication network (NW) to the wireless data transfer device (MS) or in the second direction from the wireless data transfer device (MS) to the mobile communication network. In the method, information about the end of the block flow is set in a packet (302) to be transmitted in a block flow when data transfer has stopped. When the transfer of packets in said first direction has stopped, at least one enquiry message (306) is also sent from the mobile communication network (NW) to the wireless data transfer device (MS).