A network device may execute a process (e.g., a software keep-alive process (SKAP)) that schedules the transmission of keep-alive messages or packets. The network device maintains a database of keep-alive network sessions storing information that is used for scheduling the transmission of the keep-alive messages or packets for the keep-alive network sessions. The database may be read and a next transmission time and session frequency for one or more keep-alive sessions may be determined. The one or more keep-alive sessions may then be placed in appropriate banks within a timer queue based on the determined next transmission time and session frequency. Each bank is associated with a time period from the current time. The keep-alive sessions having sooner next transmission times are placed in higher priority banks. The scheduler may allow for real-time scheduling of the one or more keep-alive sessions.