Method and system for avoiding hanging PDP contexts

A method for avoiding hanging Packet Data Protocol (PDP) contexts in a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, the method comprising:

• including by a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), a time-out period in a request message to create a PDP context;
• transmitting the request message from the SGSN to a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN);
• receiving the request message in the GGSN;
• initiating creation of a PDP context by the GGSN in response to receiving the request message;
• determining by the GGSN whether creation of the PDP context is completed before the time-out period received in the request message expires;
• when creation of the PDP context is completed before the time-out period received in the request message expires, sending a first type of response message from the GGSN to the SGSN indicating the PDP context has been created and including identifying information for the PDP context;
• and
• when creation of the PDP context is not completed before the time-out period received in the request message expires:
• aborting creation of the PDP context;
• and
• sending a second type of response message from the GGSN to the SGSN indicating creation of the PDP context has been aborted.