In a distributed computing environment that includes hosts that execute a VMM, where each VMM supports execution of one or more VMs, administering VMs may include: assigning, by a VMM manager, the VMMs of the distributed computing environment to a logical tree topology, including assigning one of the VMMs as a root VMM of the tree topology; and executing, amongst the VMMs of the tree topology, a broadcast operation, including: pausing, by the root VMM, execution of one or more VMs supported by the root VMM; sending, by the root VMM, to other VMMs in the tree topology, a message indicating a pending transfer of the paused VMs; and transferring the paused VMs from the root VMM to the other VMMs.