Abstract: A method is provided comprising: retrieving a message that is designated for transmission via a first one of a plurality of communications hardware devices, the message being retrieved from a virtual device queue that is associated with the first communications hardware device, the message being generated by a first virtual machine, and the message being designated for transmission to a second virtual machine; selecting a second one of the plurality of communications hardware devices based on a characteristic of the message; and storing the message in a socket queue that is associated with the second communications hardware device, wherein storing the message in the socket queue that is associated with the second communications hardware device causes the message to be transmitted to the second virtual machine via the second communications hardware device rather than the first communications hardware device.