In a distributed computing environment that includes which each execute a VMM, where each VMM supports execution of one or more VMs, administering the 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 gather operation, including: sending, by the root VMM, to other VMMs in the tree topology, a request to retrieve one or more VMs supported by the other VMMs; pausing, by the other VMMs, each VM requested to be retrieved; and providing, by the other VMMs to the root VMM, the VMs requested to be retrieved.