1. A system, comprising: one or more computer systems comprising: a memory, one or more processors; a bypass switch, a first physical network interface and a second physical network interface, wherein the bypass switch has an open position and a closed position and the first physical network interface has a first port and the second physical network interface has a second port; wherein the closed position corresponds to the bypass switch forming a direct connection between the first and second ports of the first and second physical network interfaces thus bypassing processing of the data signals by the first and second physical network interfaces; wherein, in the open position, the first and second physical network interfaces are operative to process data signals received at the first and second ports; and wherein the bypass switch is responsive to control signals to move from the open position to the closed position; and computer-executable program code stored in the memory and executable by the one or more processors, the computer-executable program code comprising one or more virtual machines modules comprising computer-executable instructions configured, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to implement one or more virtual machines that host one or more guest operating systems and one or more applications; a virtual bypass switch module comprising computer-executable instructions configured, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to: monitor availability of the one or more applications hosted by the one or more virtual machines; responsive to the availability of the one or more applications, forward packets received on the first physical network interface to at least one of the one or more virtual machines; responsive to unavailability of the one or more applications, forward the packets received on the first physical network interface to the second physical network interface; wherein the one or more computer systems comprises a first set of one or more computer systems and a second set of one or more computer systems; wherein the first set of one or more computer systems comprises: a first set of the one or more processors; the bypass switch; and the computer-executable program code comprising the virtual bypass switch module; and wherein the second set of one or more computer systems comprises: a second set of the one or more processors; and the computer-executable program code comprising the one or more virtual machines modules, the one or more virtual machines modules further comprising computer-executable instructions configured, when executed, to cause the second set of one or more processors of the second set of one or more computer systems to implement the one or more virtual machines.