Method for providing time-critical services, in which method - the services each comprise at least one server component (111, 121) that is formed by a software container that runs, isolated from other software containers or container groups, within a sequence control environment on a host operating system of a server device, wherein the sequence control environment comprises a virtual switch and the software containers each use, jointly with other software containers running on the respective server device, a kernel of the host operating system of the server device, - a virtual IP stack (113, 123) that is connected to the virtual switch is made available for each of the server components, - the services additionally each comprise a directory service component (112, 122) formed by means of a separate software container running in the sequence control environment in order to ascertain services provided within the sequence control environment, wherein the directory service components are interconnected via a communication interface that is separated from the virtual switch and the virtual IP stacks of the server components and forms a side channel for communication between the server components and the sequence control environment, - an aggregator component formed by means of a further software container running in the sequence control environment is connected to the separated communication interface and makes information regarding the services provided by means of the server components available outside the sequence control environment, - the directory service components compare information regarding respectively ascertained services with one another and/or with the aggregator component, - the aggregator component provides the compared information outside the sequence control environment, - a virtual IP stack that is connected to the virtual IP switch is made available for the aggregator component. - the services each comprise at least one server component (111, 121) that is formed by a software container that runs, isolated from other software containers or container groups, within a sequence control environment on a host operating system of a server device, wherein the sequence control environment comprises a virtual switch and the software containers each use, jointly with other software containers running on the respective server device, a kernel of the host operating system of the server device, - a virtual IP stack (113, 123) that is connected to the virtual switch is made available for each of the server components, - the services additionally each comprise a directory service component (112, 122) formed by means of a separate software container running in the sequence control environment in order to ascertain services provided within the sequence control environment, wherein the directory service components are interconnected via a communication interface that is separated from the virtual switch and the virtual IP stacks of the server components and forms a side channel for communication between the server components and the sequence control environment, - an aggregator component formed by means of a further software container running in the sequence control environment is connected to the separated communication interface and makes information regarding the services provided by means of the server components available outside the sequence control environment, - the directory service components compare information regarding respectively ascertained services with one another and/or with the aggregator component, - the aggregator component provides the compared information outside the sequence control environment, - a virtual IP stack that is connected to the virtual IP switch is made available for the aggregator component.