diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go
index 8aa927fa36..d41fc41e33 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go
@@ -577,8 +577,8 @@ func (a *Acrn) HotplugRemoveDevice(ctx context.Context, devInfo interface{}, dev
 	return nil, nil
 }
 
-func (a *Acrn) pauseSandbox(ctx context.Context) error {
-	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, a.Logger(), "pauseSandbox", acrnTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": a.id})
+func (a *Acrn) PauseVM(ctx context.Context) error {
+	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, a.Logger(), "PauseVM", acrnTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": a.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	// Not supported. return success
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
index dac5f40c7c..d5401c3f35 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
@@ -716,8 +716,8 @@ func (clh *cloudHypervisor) Cleanup(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (clh *cloudHypervisor) pauseSandbox(ctx context.Context) error {
-	clh.Logger().WithField("function", "pauseSandbox").Info("Pause Sandbox")
+func (clh *cloudHypervisor) PauseVM(ctx context.Context) error {
+	clh.Logger().WithField("function", "PauseVM").Info("Pause Sandbox")
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
index 8620ec88e0..86d628b28d 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
@@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ func (fc *firecracker) stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) (err erro
 	return fc.fcEnd(ctx, waitOnly)
 }
 
-func (fc *firecracker) pauseSandbox(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (fc *firecracker) PauseVM(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
index f9008209dc..70387a385b 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
@@ -902,7 +902,7 @@ type hypervisor interface {
 	// If wait is set, don't actively stop the sandbox:
 	// just perform cleanup.
 	stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) error
-	pauseSandbox(ctx context.Context) error
+	PauseVM(ctx context.Context) error
 	saveSandbox() error
 	resumeSandbox(ctx context.Context) error
 	AddDevice(ctx context.Context, devInfo interface{}, devType DeviceType) error
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go
index 059dbcd1a9..e9f3144a97 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (m *mockHypervisor) stopSandbox(ctx context.Context, waitOnly bool) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *mockHypervisor) pauseSandbox(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (m *mockHypervisor) PauseVM(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
index 7d259398ab..ec4b113e3e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
@@ -1951,8 +1951,8 @@ func (q *qemu) hotplugAddMemory(memDev *MemoryDevice) (int, error) {
 	return memDev.SizeMB, nil
 }
 
-func (q *qemu) pauseSandbox(ctx context.Context) error {
-	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "pauseSandbox", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
+func (q *qemu) PauseVM(ctx context.Context) error {
+	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "PauseVM", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	return q.togglePauseSandbox(ctx, true)
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go
index cc791a3e30..2455711ac9 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func (v *VM) logger() logrus.FieldLogger {
 // Pause pauses a VM.
 func (v *VM) Pause(ctx context.Context) error {
 	v.logger().Info("pause vm")
-	return v.hypervisor.pauseSandbox(ctx)
+	return v.hypervisor.PauseVM(ctx)
 }
 
 // Save saves a VM to persistent disk.