Data processing system and method for balancing a load in a

Abstract

A data processing system implements a load balancing methodology which recognizes the effects that multiple, mobile subscribers have within a wireless communications network. During execution of this load balancing methodology, a rehoming operation is executed at a telephone central office to move some subscribers in a network to a new home mobile switching center with a minimum number of rehoming steps. To perform this rehoming operation, a mobile switching center in a network which has a highest load is selected first. Mobile switching centers which have a load lower than a network average load are considered to be candidates for a rehome destination. All subscriber groups homed to the highest loaded mobile switching center are evaluated to determine whether or not a rehoming operation using this subscriber group would provide a highest benefit and give a lowest standard deviation of loads among mobile switching centers after the rehome operation is selected. This operation is iterative and searches for the best directory number to be homed in each candidate mobile switching center. A resulting balanced load of network resources will serve to increase the effectiveness and longevity of a current wireless communications network before additional equipment is required.