An example operation may include a method, comprising one or more of: receiving a stop request from a VNFM, retrieving a last peer operational state from a heartbeat history datastore, staying in active state when the last peer operational state is not standby, sending a remaining check points message to a peer VNFCI when the last peer operational state is standby, sending a first heartbeat message to the peer VNFCI with an operational state of active and a desired operational state of shutdown, receiving, at the peer VNFCI, the first heartbeat message; sending a second heartbeat message to the VNFCI, determining an operational state of the VNFCI when the second heartbeat message is received from the peer VNFCI, staying in active state when the operational state in the second heartbeat message is activating, transitioning the VNFCI to a deactivating state, stopping accepting service traffic at the VNFCI, and transitioning to shutdown state at the VNFCI.