Data handler

An apparatus configured to operate as a data handler to process monitoring data among network entities, wherein the apparatus comprises:

• a network interface;
• at least one processor configured to receive and transmit via the network interface, to enable the apparatus to perform the steps of:
• obtain a first data request from a first network entity, the first data request comprising a first data identifier, the first data identifier relating to monitoring data;
• obtain one or more second data identifier from one or more other network entities, wherein the one or more second data identifier is related to the monitoring data to be collected from one or more other network entities;
• generate association information based on the first data identifier and the one or more second data identifier;
• and
• determine, based on the association information, whether the monitoring data to be collected is already available at the data handler, or determine whether the monitoring data to be collected should be collected from the one or more other network entities by the data handler.