Constant updates on PIM on GaiaOS article

[kamilazat]

Hi everyone, here's a not so important question just because I'm curious.

I receive emails about sk article updates every sunday and noticed that the PIM on GaiaOS article gets updated very often. I mean so often that it's the only article that I noticed. Why does it get updated very often?

Cheers!

[PhoneBoy]

Unfortunately, there's not an easy way for me to see the changelog on the article.
It could just be formatting changes.

[the_rock]

I find this AI answer somewhat logical...

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Why It Might Be Updated Often

Here are some possible reasons for the frequent updates you’re seeing:

1. Complexity & Wide Use Cases

   • Because PIM has multiple modes (SM, DM, SSM), and because multicast setups can vary a lot depending on network architecture, Check Point may continuously refine or clarify the SK article to cover more edge cases, best practices, or newly supported scenarios.

   • They might also be adding details for different Gaia versions (R77, R80, etc.) as users report issues or ask for clarifications.

2. Documentation Feedback Loop

   • It’s common for SK (Support Knowledge) articles to be updated as customers run into problems, report ambiguous instructions, or ask for additional configuration examples.

   • Check Point’s documentation team likely tracks support cases and updates SKs based on recurring feedback.

3. Gaia OS & Feature Changes

   • Gaia OS evolves: new Gaia versions (minor or major) may change how PIM is configured, what defaults are, or what options are available (especially in advanced routing).

   • Check Point’s CPUSE (Gaia’s update system) supports hotfixes, minor releases, etc. Checkpoint

   • If there are bug fixes or behavioral changes in PIM functionality, the SK needs updating to reflect them.

4. Multicast Risks & Precision

   • Misconfiguring PIM can lead to serious network issues (e.g., inefficient multicast flooding, suboptimal tree building), so the SK article might be refined to emphasize safe defaults, timer recommendations, or design guidance.

   • They may also periodically improve the docs to help prevent common misconfigurations (e.g., DR priority, Bootstrap Router, etc.).

5. Small Audience, High Impact

   • PIM is a more niche feature (multicast is less common than unicast in many enterprise environments), so the documentation might be more tightly managed and iterated only when there’s relevant feedback.

   • Because relatively fewer people use it, each piece of feedback can lead to frequent, focused documentation fixes.

[kamilazat]

Yeah I also got similar answers from it. So it's either the PIM functionality is getting modified and updated for all the different use cases encountered, and of course documented in the sk. And simple documentation updates are not always perfect, so formatting changes should be also a factor as @PhoneBoy suggested.

I guess I was looking for an answer about what kind of issues are being encountered. But doesn't sound likely that I'll get an answer here 🙂

[the_rock]

I would ask your local SE or maybe TAC as well?

[Chris_Atkinson]

Where applicable those (issues) probably would most likely show in separate SKs or JHF release notes.