There are two types of routing entries on a PIM network.

Routing Entries in PIM

(S, G) entries: Represent the shortest path tree (SPT) from a specific source (S) to a specific multicast group (G). These entries are created after data packets are transmitted directly from the source to the receivers.

(S, G) entries are used in both PIM-DM and PIM-SM modes.

PIM-DM and PIM-SM Modes

InPIM-DM, multicast traffic is initially flooded throughout the network and pruned where no receivers exist. (S, G) entries represent source-specific paths created after the flooding stage.

InPIM-SM, multicast traffic initially flows through a shared tree, but (S, G) entries are created when the network switches to the SPT for more efficient forwarding.

HCIP-Datacom-Core Reference

The functionality and application of (S, G) routing entries are detailed in multicast and PIM configuration chapters​​.