A distributed computing environment includes a client platform, plurality server platforms, plural applications distributed amongst the plural server platforms, a messaging system, a plurality of data files and a load balancing and failover software application. Maintained in the data file for each application is a list of each instance of the application, where it resides and a pre-determined time span assigned thereto. The time spans maintained in the data file are arranged in a self-repeating sequence, collectively comprise a first unit of time and respectively encompass a contiguous range of values for a second unit of time. For each message to be delivered to a distributed application, the load balancing and failover software application selects the server platform to receive the message. The load balancing and failover software application then determines if the selected server platform has failed and, if so, selects a substitute server platform.