Description
Service Enabler Architecture Layer – Data Delivery (SEALDD) is a specialized function introduced as part of the broader SEAL framework in 3GPP Release 18. Its primary role is to manage and optimize the delivery of data between vertical applications and groups of User Equipments (UEs) or between UEs themselves. SEALDD acts as an intelligent data plane agent that understands application context and network conditions. Key architectural components include data routing logic, caching capabilities, transcoding/adaptation functions, and interfaces for group management. It works by receiving data delivery requests from a vertical application via the SEAL northbound API. These requests specify parameters such as target group (defined via the SEAL Group Management enabler), data priority, required latency, and geographic area. SEALDD then determines the most efficient delivery strategy, which may involve unicast, multicast, or broadcast mechanisms, potentially leveraging 5G Multicast-Broadcast Services (MBS). It can cache popular content at the network edge to reduce latency and core network load. For example, in a V2X scenario, SEALDD can efficiently distribute high-definition map updates to all vehicles in a specific city district. It interfaces with other SEAL enablers (for group and location info) and core network functions like the Network Exposure Function (NEF) and User Plane Function (UPF) to execute the delivery. Its operation includes applying relevant policies for quality of service, security, and charging. By abstracting these complex data delivery mechanisms, SEALDD allows vertical applications to request sophisticated data distribution without managing underlying network transport details.
Purpose & Motivation
SEALDD was created to address specific data delivery challenges faced by vertical applications in 5G and beyond. Prior to its introduction, while SEAL provided management enablers, efficient, scalable, and context-aware data distribution was not fully standardized. Verticals like connected cars (V2X), drone swarms, and large-scale IoT deployments require efficient group communication, low-latency data pushes, and adaptive content delivery based on location or network conditions. Implementing these features ad-hoc was complex and inefficient. The purpose of SEALDD is to fill this gap by providing a standardized, network-integrated data delivery service within the SEAL ecosystem. It solves problems like network congestion from redundant unicast streams, high latency for edge services, and the complexity of using multicast/broadcast services directly. By offering application-aware data delivery as a service, SEALDD enables verticals to build scalable data-intensive applications, optimizes network resource utilization, and is a key enabler for 5G Advanced use cases like extended reality (XR) and collaborative robots, where efficient data dissemination is critical.
Classification
Detected Changes Across Releases
from 3GPP Change RequestsSpecific changes extracted from the „Change history“ tables of 3GPP specifications (194 CRs across 5 releases). Complements the general historical overview above with the evidence-based evolution of this function.
In Release 16, the SEALDD function introduced specific procedures and schema definitions for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) message delivery. This included corrections and updates to the V2X message delivery procedure itself, along with the provision of an XML schema for that procedure. Additionally, the release included corrections for SEAL Group configuration within the data delivery framework.
In Release 17, the SEALDD function introduced new capabilities for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services, including groupcast/broadcast configuration procedures via the VAE layer and support for 5G Core Network external group information for SEAL groups. Furthermore, enhancements were made to the management APIs, such as the addition of a PATCH method for updating individual location reporting configurations and the introduction of a network slice capability management API for SEAL. Other updates included message filters for SEAL groups, security improvements for SEAL-S, and corrections to API resource URIs and support for API redirection.
- XML schema for V2X groupcastbroadcast configuration by VAE layer procedure TS 24.486CR0102
- Support 5G CN external group information for SEAL groups TS 29.549CR0029
- Message filters for SEAL groups TS 29.549CR0030
- Network slice capability management API for SEAL TS 29.549CR0037
- Support PATCH for update of Individual SEAL Location Reporting Configuration resource TS 29.549CR0070
- V2X groupcast/broadcast configuration by VAE layer procedure TS 24.486CR0097
+ 8 more changes
In Release 18, the SEALDD (Service Enabler Architecture Layer – Data Delivery) function was newly introduced to provide a data delivery enabler for vertical applications. Key additions included support for seamless transport layer service continuity, enhanced procedures such as SEALDD server discovery and context transfer with policy information, and new capabilities for multi-modal flow synchronization and crossflow QoS measurement. The release also completed the definition of EAS identifiers and added specific management procedures, including SEALDD client-initiated connection release and policy deletion.
- Introducing SEALDD support TS 24.257CR0030
- Introducing SEALDD support TS 24.486CR0175
- Add message delivery between different MSGin5G Servers TS 24.538CR0032
- add new SEAL GMS capabilities TS 24.538CR0033
- Introducing SEALDD support TS 24.538CR0113
- Definition of SEALDD related functionalities TS 29.549CR0145
+ 32 more changes
In Release 19, the SEALDD (Service Enabler Architecture Layer – Data Delivery) function introduced new capabilities for managing **multi-modal traffic** with dedicated flow identifiers and QoS measurements, and expanded its policy framework to include **client-initiated connection establishment** and **Geofence policy provisioning**. Enhancements also focused on service continuity and efficiency through **seamless SEALDD relocation**, **Background Data Transfer**, and support for **Adaptive XR Data Transmission Service**.
- SEALDD transmission quality guarantee with BAT and periodicity adaptation TS 23.433CR0015
- Correction on SEALDD enabled congestion control for VAL application by supporting L4S mechanism TS 23.433CR0021
- Provisioning a Geofence policy in the SEALDD server TS 23.433CR0023
- Enhancements to the SEALDD connection status procedure TS 23.433CR0024
- Seamless SEALDD relocation enhancement TS 23.433CR0032
- SEALDD Background data transfer TS 23.433CR0051
+ 118 more changes
In Release 20, the SEALDD function introduced several new capabilities, including explicit support for multicast and broadcast data delivery services and enhanced policy enforcement. The release also formally defined the SEALDD-UU and SEALDD-S protocol stacks and added support for establishing regular connections with an explicit indication of the SLA on QoS service type. Furthermore, it provided enhancements for congestion control tailored to vertical applications and clarified the functional model and the SEALDD-S interface.
- Support of QoS differentiation for non-3GPP devices in SEALDD layer TS 23.433CR0184
- Addition of the protocol stacks for SEALDD-UU and SEALDD-S TS 23.433CR0189
- Addition of the user plane protocol stack examples for SEALDD-UU and SEALDD-S TS 23.433CR0190
- Support on SEALDD enabled Multicast and Broadcast data delivery service TS 23.433CR0193
- Support on the SEALDD policy enforcement. TS 23.433CR0194
- Support on the SEALDD regular connection establishment with additional indication of SLA on QoS service type TS 23.433CR0195
+ 8 more changes
Explore further
Broader topics and technologies where SEALDD plays a role.
Defining Specifications
3GPP specifications that define or reference SEALDD, with the latest known release. Sourced from the 3GPP document catalog — see methodology.
| Specification | Title | Release |
|---|---|---|
| TS 23.433 vk00 | SEAL Data Delivery (SEALDD) for Verticals | Rel-20 |
| TS 23.482 vk00 | AIML Enablement Service Architecture | Rel-20 |
| TS 23.700 vk00 | XR Services Application Enablement Layer | Rel-20 |
| TS 24.257 vj40 | UAS Application Enabler (UAE) Layer | Rel-19 |
| TS 24.486 vj00 | V2X Application Enabler (VAE) Protocol Spec | Rel-19 |
| TS 24.538 vj30 | MSGin5G Service Protocol Specification | Rel-19 |
| TS 24.543 vj50 | SEAL Data Delivery Management Protocol | Rel-19 |
| TS 29.548 vj40 | SEAL Data Delivery Server Services Stage 3 | Rel-19 |
| TS 29.549 vj40 | SEAL API Specification for Vertical Applications | Rel-19 |
| TS 29.558 vj40 | Enabling Edge Applications | Rel-19 |