Network load balancing for multi-computer server

A message dispatch system is provided for a multi-computer server having a number of server computers connected via respective server network links. The message dispatch system, which is connectable to an external telecommunications network, includes a message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for the multi-computer server from the external telecommunications network and to dispatch the client requests to selected server computers via the server network links. The message dispatcher is configured to determine a server to which an external client request is to be dispatched in response to parameters representative of message traffic volume on the server network links. Load balancing is performed based on parameters representative of the server network link loading, rather than, or possibly in addition to measurements on processor loading. Suitable network loading parameters can be derived by monitoring packets passing from and/or to the individual server computers. The monitoring can be performed in the dispatcher, or in a switch or a separate traffic monitor between the dispatcher and the server network links, for example.