1. A method for establishing communication schedules for a distributed real-time computer cluster comprising nodal computers, comprising the steps of: a) creating a grid by a computer which contains parameters necessary to enable basic communication between nodes of a cluster; b) providing nodal communication schedules for all nodes planned to be used as invariant components, said nodal communication schedules having been derived based on the parameters contained in said grid and any node-specific parameters from said invariant components; and c) deriving cluster communication schedules from said nodal communication schedules which contain, in addition to all parameters of the grid and the node-specific parameters of the invariant components, those parameters which are relevant to the remaining nodes of the cluster; d) wherein said nodal communication schedules for said invariant components may be used in any grid having the same parameters.