A method of managing network scheduling and configuration, the method comprising: for each transmitting end station in a network, reserving one exclusive buffer for each virtual link scheduled to be transmitted from the respective transmitting end station; for each receiving end station in the network, reserving one or more exclusive buffers for each virtual link scheduled to be received at the respective receiving end station, the reserving for each receiving station comprising: reserving one or more exclusive buffers for each respective synchronization virtual link based on the number of network planes applicable to the respective synchronization virtual link, wherein synchronization virtual links are used to communicate a global time base to the nodes of the network and a network plane is a distinct path from a single transmitting port in a transmitting end station to each receiving end station of the corresponding virtual link; and for each input port of the respective receiving end station, reserving one or more exclusive buffers for all time triggered virtual links based on a maximum buffer depth for the respective receiving end station, wherein time triggered frames within time triggered virtual links are sent over the network 100 at predefined times; for each switch in the network, reserving one exclusive buffer for each virtual link scheduled to be received at an input port of the respective switch; determining if each respective transmitting end station, each respective receiving end station, and each respective switch has sufficient hardware capability to support the respective total number of reserved buffers; and reporting buffer infeasibility if each respective transmitting end station, each respective receiving end station, and each respective switch does not have sufficient hardware capability to support the respective total number of reserved buffers. for each transmitting end station in a network, reserving one exclusive buffer for each virtual link scheduled to be transmitted from the respective transmitting end station; for each receiving end station in the network, reserving one or more exclusive buffers for each virtual link scheduled to be received at the respective receiving end station, the reserving for each receiving station comprising: reserving one or more exclusive buffers for each respective synchronization virtual link based on the number of network planes applicable to the respective synchronization virtual link, wherein synchronization virtual links are used to communicate a global time base to the nodes of the network and a network plane is a distinct path from a single transmitting port in a transmitting end station to each receiving end station of the corresponding virtual link; and for each input port of the respective receiving end station, reserving one or more exclusive buffers for all time triggered virtual links based on a maximum buffer depth for the respective receiving end station, wherein time triggered frames within time triggered virtual links are sent over the network 100 at predefined times; reserving one or more exclusive buffers for each respective synchronization virtual link based on the number of network planes applicable to the respective synchronization virtual link, wherein synchronization virtual links are used to communicate a global time base to the nodes of the network and a network plane is a distinct path from a single transmitting port in a transmitting end station to each receiving end station of the corresponding virtual link; and for each input port of the respective receiving end station, reserving one or more exclusive buffers for all time triggered virtual links based on a maximum buffer depth for the respective receiving end station, wherein time triggered frames within time triggered virtual links are sent over the network 100 at predefined times; for each switch in the network, reserving one exclusive buffer for each virtual link scheduled to be received at an input port of the respective switch; determining if each respective transmitting end station, each respective receiving end station, and each respective switch has sufficient hardware capability to support the respective total number of reserved buffers; and reporting buffer infeasibility if each respective transmitting end station, each respective receiving end station, and each respective switch does not have sufficient hardware capability to support the respective total number of reserved buffers.