Method to improve availability of real-time computer networks

Abstract

A method for transmitting real-time messages in a computer network (), in particular real-time computer network, wherein said network comprises two or more computing nodes () and one or more star couplers (), wherein said nodes are interconnected via at least one star coupler, wherein each node is connected to at least one star coupler via at least one of the communication links (), and wherein the nodes exchange messages (MM) with one another and with the at least one star coupler, and wherein star couplers, which are synchronized to a global time base (C), transmit a first non-empty set (SSET) of real-time messages according to a synchronized communication paradigm, and/or wherein computing nodes, which are synchronized to the global time base, transmit said first non-empty set of real-time messages according to the synchronized communication paradigm, wherein a star coupler, which is not synchronized to a global time base, and/or a computing node, which is not synchronized to a global time base, transmits a second non-empty subset (CSET) of said first non-empty subset of real-time messages according to an unsynchronized communication paradigm and stops the transmission of said second non-empty subset of real-time messages according to the synchronized communication paradigm.