High-performance processing in a virtualization environment

Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems include a client virtual machine processing a system call for a device driver to instruct a physical device to perform a function and transmitting the system call to an appliance virtual machine to execute the system call. The client virtual machine determines, in response to the system call, that an established connection with the appliance virtual machine has switched from a first protocol to a second protocol, the first and second protocols including a high-performance transmission protocol and Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The client virtual machine transmits the system call to the appliance virtual machine according to the second protocol. For example, the established connection may switch to the second protocol in response to the client virtual machine migrating to the first host device from a second host device.