The Serving Gateway (SGW) is one of the primary components of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) in an LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network. It acts as a critical node that manages user data traffic and interfaces between the radio side and the core network.
Key responsibilities and functions of the SGW include:
- Data Path Routing: The SGW is responsible for routing and forwarding user data packets, ensuring that data is sent to and from the user equipment (UE) efficiently.
- Mobility Anchor: As users move throughout the coverage area of various eNodeBs (base stations), the SGW acts as the mobility anchor. This means that even if the UE changes its point of network attachment (for example, during a handover between eNodeBs), the path between the SGW and the PDN Gateway (PGW) remains constant.
- User Plane Anchor for Inter-network Mobility: The SGW serves as the user plane anchor when mobility occurs between LTE and other 3GPP technologies (e.g., 2G or 3G).
- Temporal Storage: The SGW temporarily buffers downlink data for the UE. This is particularly important when the UE is in idle mode or during initial attach until the necessary bearers are established.
- Lawful Interception: Similar to the MME, the SGW can provide lawful interception capabilities where required by law.
- Charging: The SGW collects data for offline charging and forwards this data to the charging function. This is crucial for billing users based on their data usage.
- UE IP Address Management: While the actual allocation of IP addresses to UEs is handled by the PGW, the SGW handles the user-plane with the assigned IP.
- Bearer Management: In collaboration with the MME and PGW, the SGW helps manage and maintain the network bearers that carry user data.
- Packet Filtering: The SGW can perform packet filtering based on parameters like IP addresses, ensuring that user data is correctly routed.
- Quality of Service (QoS) Enforcement: While QoS decisions are primarily made by the PGW, the SGW enforces these decisions to ensure that different types of data (e.g., voice, video, or general internet traffic) are given the appropriate priority and bandwidth.
The SGW interfaces with several other network elements. It communicates with the eNodeB on the radio side via the S1-U interface. On the core network side, it communicates with the MME through the S11 interface for control purposes and with the PGW via the S5/S8 interfaces for user data.
In summary, the SGW plays a pivotal role in managing and routing user data within the LTE network, ensuring continuity of data sessions even as users move across the network.