Embodiments include methods, apparatuses, articles, and systems having a plurality of agents of a plurality of virtual machines of a physical device. In various embodiments, first and second agents of first and second virtual machines are adapted to cooperate to ensure that a port of the physical device is listened to by only a first application of the first virtual machine and by the second agent of the second virtual machine. Also, the first and second agents are further adapted to cooperate to facilitate the first application and a second application of the second virtual machine in communicating with each other in a network-like manner.