diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go
index 56d7221abc..cbd45a49a5 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/acrn.go
@@ -422,8 +422,8 @@ func (a *Acrn) createSandbox(ctx context.Context, id string, networkNS NetworkNa
 }
 
 // startSandbox will start the Sandbox's VM.
-func (a *Acrn) startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeoutSecs int) error {
-	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, a.Logger(), "startSandbox", acrnTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": a.id})
+func (a *Acrn) StartVM(ctx context.Context, timeoutSecs int) error {
+	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, a.Logger(), "StartVM", acrnTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": a.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	if a.config.Debug {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
index 5429647a04..434d9ea87a 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh.go
@@ -365,14 +365,14 @@ func (clh *cloudHypervisor) createSandbox(ctx context.Context, id string, networ
 }
 
 // startSandbox will start the VMM and boot the virtual machine for the given sandbox.
-func (clh *cloudHypervisor) startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
-	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, clh.Logger(), "startSandbox", clhTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": clh.id})
+func (clh *cloudHypervisor) StartVM(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
+	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, clh.Logger(), "StartVM", clhTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": clh.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), clhAPITimeout*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	clh.Logger().WithField("function", "startSandbox").Info("starting Sandbox")
+	clh.Logger().WithField("function", "StartVM").Info("starting Sandbox")
 
 	vmPath := filepath.Join(clh.store.RunVMStoragePath(), clh.id)
 	err := os.MkdirAll(vmPath, DirMode)
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ func (clh *cloudHypervisor) startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error
 	defer label.SetProcessLabel("")
 
 	if clh.config.SharedFS == config.VirtioFS {
-		clh.Logger().WithField("function", "startSandbox").Info("Starting virtiofsd")
+		clh.Logger().WithField("function", "StartVM").Info("Starting virtiofsd")
 		pid, err := clh.virtiofsd.Start(ctx, func() {
 			clh.StopVM(ctx, false)
 		})
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh_test.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh_test.go
index 286f875c1f..0ce6dea9cf 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/clh_test.go
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ func TestClooudHypervisorStartSandbox(t *testing.T) {
 		store:     store,
 	}
 
-	err = clh.startSandbox(context.Background(), 10)
+	err = clh.StartVM(context.Background(), 10)
 	assert.NoError(err)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
index 416ff12afd..bfb48506e3 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/fc.go
@@ -765,8 +765,8 @@ func (fc *firecracker) fcInitConfiguration(ctx context.Context) error {
 // startSandbox will start the hypervisor for the given sandbox.
 // In the context of firecracker, this will start the hypervisor,
 // for configuration, but not yet start the actual virtual machine
-func (fc *firecracker) startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
-	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, fc.Logger(), "startSandbox", fcTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": fc.id})
+func (fc *firecracker) StartVM(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
+	span, _ := katatrace.Trace(ctx, fc.Logger(), "StartVM", fcTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": fc.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	if err := fc.fcInitConfiguration(ctx); err != nil {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
index e12c93108a..788338b26b 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/hypervisor.go
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ func generateVMSocket(id string, vmStogarePath string) (interface{}, error) {
 type hypervisor interface {
 	setConfig(config *HypervisorConfig) error
 	createSandbox(ctx context.Context, id string, networkNS NetworkNamespace, hypervisorConfig *HypervisorConfig) error
-	startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error
+	StartVM(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error
 
 	// If wait is set, don't actively stop the sandbox:
 	// just perform cleanup.
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
index 9a0107e2a6..adeb24d84e 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
@@ -764,7 +764,7 @@ func (k *kataAgent) getDNS(sandbox *Sandbox) ([]string, error) {
 }
 
 func (k *kataAgent) startSandbox(ctx context.Context, sandbox *Sandbox) error {
-	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, k.Logger(), "startSandbox", kataAgentTracingTags)
+	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, k.Logger(), "StartVM", kataAgentTracingTags)
 	defer span.End()
 
 	if err := k.setAgentURL(); err != nil {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go
index 17c7fcb87b..3dccdcfcca 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func (m *mockHypervisor) createSandbox(ctx context.Context, id string, networkNS
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *mockHypervisor) startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
+func (m *mockHypervisor) StartVM(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor_test.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor_test.go
index 4ba6cdd81c..6ea73083c9 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/mock_hypervisor_test.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func TestMockHypervisorCreateSandbox(t *testing.T) {
 func TestMockHypervisorStartSandbox(t *testing.T) {
 	var m *mockHypervisor
 
-	assert.NoError(t, m.startSandbox(context.Background(), vmStartTimeout))
+	assert.NoError(t, m.StartVM(context.Background(), vmStartTimeout))
 }
 
 func TestMockHypervisorStopSandbox(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
index 50db3947ff..bb040f568a 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/qemu.go
@@ -770,8 +770,8 @@ func (q *qemu) setupVirtioMem(ctx context.Context) error {
 }
 
 // startSandbox will start the Sandbox's VM.
-func (q *qemu) startSandbox(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
-	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "startSandbox", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
+func (q *qemu) StartVM(ctx context.Context, timeout int) error {
+	span, ctx := katatrace.Trace(ctx, q.Logger(), "StartVM", qemuTracingTags, map[string]string{"sandbox_id": q.id})
 	defer span.End()
 
 	if q.config.Debug {
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
index 92f5211c6d..b726a5508f 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/sandbox.go
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ func (s *Sandbox) startVM(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 			return vm.assignSandbox(s)
 		}
 
-		return s.hypervisor.startSandbox(ctx, vmStartTimeout)
+		return s.hypervisor.StartVM(ctx, vmStartTimeout)
 	}); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/virtcontainers_test.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/virtcontainers_test.go
index d120baf6cb..56b27b1c53 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/virtcontainers_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/virtcontainers_test.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	}
 
 	utils.StartCmd = func(c *exec.Cmd) error {
-		//startSandbox will Check if the hypervisor is alive and
+		//StartVM will Check if the hypervisor is alive and
 		// checks for the PID is running, lets fake it using our
 		// own PID
 		c.Process = &os.Process{Pid: os.Getpid()}
diff --git a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go
index f23819b770..3c91d6534b 100644
--- a/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go
+++ b/src/runtime/virtcontainers/vm.go
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ func NewVM(ctx context.Context, config VMConfig) (*VM, error) {
 	}
 
 	// 3. boot up guest vm
-	if err = hypervisor.startSandbox(ctx, vmStartTimeout); err != nil {
+	if err = hypervisor.StartVM(ctx, vmStartTimeout); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ func (v *VM) Resume(ctx context.Context) error {
 // Start kicks off a configured VM.
 func (v *VM) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 	v.logger().Info("start vm")
-	return v.hypervisor.startSandbox(ctx, vmStartTimeout)
+	return v.hypervisor.StartVM(ctx, vmStartTimeout)
 }
 
 // Disconnect agent connections to a VM