Abstract: A method for improving time planning in time-critical networks is proposed. This is done by means of a computer network with a plurality of network users. To carry out the method, all network users along a transmission path from a network user functioning as a transmitter to a network user functioning as a receiver are first detected. Once these network users are known, the longest possible transfer time for a data stream between any two network users along the transmission path is calculated according to an interference model or an end-to-end model. The longest possible transfer time between a transmitter and a receiver is then calculated by summing the calculated transfer times. This transfer time between the transmitter and the receiver that is calculated in this way can then be taken as a basis for the time planning in the network.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of routing in a network. The network consists of a plurality of network nodes. The network may have different interlinks and connections from one network node to the others. An actual topology for the network is thus created. According to the invention, the routing is performed in two phases. First, the number of possible links to the network nodes is reduced in a reduction phase. A reduced topology is thus created in which network nodes or links to network nodes that are not required for route finding are discarded. In a subsequent routing and time planning phase, an optimized route to a network node in the reduced topology is then calculated.