Embodiments relate to migrating a virtual machine (VM) between work groups. A first machine in a first work group generates a migration request that identifies one or more contiguous memory regions used by the VM for operation. The first machine transmits the migration request to a plurality of work groups. The first machine receives a score from each of the plurality of work groups indicating a number of contiguous memory regions identified in the migration request that are available at the respective work group. A second work group in the plurality of work groups is identified as a destination for the VM based on the scores and a distance of the second work group from the first machine. A migration of the VM from the first machine to a second machine in the second work group is caused based on the identification of the second work group as the destination.