In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a port channel manager for receiving information identifying switches connected to a group of physical ports at a network device and creating subgroups each comprising the physical ports connected to one of the switches. The apparatus further includes a virtual interface agent for assigning a virtual interface connecting a virtual switch to a virtual machine, to one of the subgroups. Traffic received from the virtual machine on the virtual interface is transmitted to one of the switches on one of the physical ports in the assigned subgroup. A method for grouping ports for association with virtual interfaces is also disclosed.