The invention relates to a method for processing real-time data in a distribution unit of a distributed computer system, the computer system comprising a plurality of node computers and distribution units, the distribution unit containing, in addition to a switching engine (SE) and a switching memory (SM), one or more application computers each with one or more application central processing units and each with one or more application memories (AM), wherein the switching engine of the distribution unit, when it receives, at one of its ports, a message intended for an application computer, forwards this message to the addressed application computer through a direct memory access (DMA) unit that is arranged between the switching memory and the application memory of the addressed application computer and that is under the control of the switching engine. The invention also relates to an expanded distribution unit and a computer system with such expanded distribution units.