diff --git a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_23_03.rst b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_23_03.rst
index b8c5b68d6c..5367123f24 100644
--- a/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_23_03.rst
+++ b/doc/guides/rel_notes/release_23_03.rst
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ New Features
      Also, make sure to start the actual text at the margin.
      =======================================================
 
+* **Added process state in ethdev to improve live migration.**
+
+  Hot upgrade of an application may be accelerated by configuring
+  the new application in standby state while the old one is still active.
+  Such double ethdev configuration of the same device is possible
+  with the added process state API.
+
 
 Removed Items
 -------------
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/ethdev_driver.h b/lib/ethdev/ethdev_driver.h
index 6a550cfc83..4a098410d5 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/ethdev_driver.h
+++ b/lib/ethdev/ethdev_driver.h
@@ -219,6 +219,23 @@ typedef int (*eth_dev_reset_t)(struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
 /** @internal Function used to detect an Ethernet device removal. */
 typedef int (*eth_is_removed_t)(struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
 
+/**
+ * @internal
+ * Set the role of the process to active or standby during live migration.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *   Port (ethdev) handle.
+ * @param standby
+ *   Role active if false, standby if true.
+ * @param flags
+ *   Role specific flags.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   Negative value on error, 0 on success.
+ */
+typedef int (*eth_dev_process_set_role_t)(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
+		bool standby, uint32_t flags);
+
 /**
  * @internal
  * Function used to enable the Rx promiscuous mode of an Ethernet device.
@@ -1186,6 +1203,9 @@ struct eth_dev_ops {
 	/** Check if the device was physically removed */
 	eth_is_removed_t           is_removed;
 
+	/** Set role during live migration */
+	eth_dev_process_set_role_t process_set_role;
+
 	eth_promiscuous_enable_t   promiscuous_enable; /**< Promiscuous ON */
 	eth_promiscuous_disable_t  promiscuous_disable;/**< Promiscuous OFF */
 	eth_allmulticast_enable_t  allmulticast_enable;/**< Rx multicast ON */
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index 5d5e18db1e..3a1fb64053 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -558,6 +558,48 @@ rte_eth_dev_owner_get(const uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_dev_owner *owner)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int
+rte_eth_process_set_role(bool standby, uint32_t flags)
+{
+	struct rte_eth_dev_info dev_info = {0};
+	struct rte_eth_dev *dev;
+	uint16_t port_id;
+	int ret = 0;
+
+	/* Check if all devices support process role. */
+	RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV(port_id) {
+		dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
+		if (*dev->dev_ops->process_set_role != NULL &&
+			*dev->dev_ops->dev_infos_get != NULL &&
+			(*dev->dev_ops->dev_infos_get)(dev, &dev_info) == 0 &&
+			(dev_info.dev_capa & RTE_ETH_DEV_CAPA_PROCESS_ROLE) != 0)
+			continue;
+		rte_errno = ENOTSUP;
+		return -rte_errno;
+	}
+	/* Call the driver callbacks. */
+	RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV(port_id) {
+		dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
+		if ((*dev->dev_ops->process_set_role)(dev, standby, flags) < 0)
+			goto failure;
+		ret++;
+	}
+	return ret;
+
+failure:
+	/* Rollback all changed devices in case one failed. */
+	if (ret) {
+		RTE_ETH_FOREACH_DEV(port_id) {
+			dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
+			(*dev->dev_ops->process_set_role)(dev, !standby, flags);
+			if (--ret == 0)
+				break;
+		}
+	}
+	rte_errno = EPERM;
+	return -rte_errno;
+}
+
 int
 rte_eth_dev_socket_id(uint16_t port_id)
 {
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
index c129ca1eaf..1505396ced 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -1606,6 +1606,8 @@ struct rte_eth_conf {
 #define RTE_ETH_DEV_CAPA_FLOW_RULE_KEEP         RTE_BIT64(3)
 /** Device supports keeping shared flow objects across restart. */
 #define RTE_ETH_DEV_CAPA_FLOW_SHARED_OBJECT_KEEP RTE_BIT64(4)
+/** Device supports process role changing. @see rte_eth_process_set_active */
+#define RTE_ETH_DEV_CAPA_PROCESS_ROLE           RTE_BIT64(5)
 /**@}*/
 
 /*
@@ -2204,6 +2206,60 @@ int rte_eth_dev_owner_delete(const uint64_t owner_id);
 int rte_eth_dev_owner_get(const uint16_t port_id,
 		struct rte_eth_dev_owner *owner);
 
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice
+ *
+ * Set the role of the process to active or standby,
+ * affecting network traffic handling.
+ *
+ * If one device does not support this operation or fails,
+ * the whole operation is failed and rolled back.
+ *
+ * It is forbidden to have multiple processes with the same role
+ * unless only one of them is configured to handle the traffic.
+ *
+ * The application is active by default.
+ * The configuration from the active process is effective immediately
+ * while the configuration from the standby process is queued by hardware.
+ * When configuring the device from a standby process,
+ * it has no effect except for below situations:
+ *   - traffic not handled by the active process configuration
+ *   - no active process
+ *
+ * When a process is changed from a standby to an active role,
+ * all preceding configurations that are queued by hardware
+ * should become effective immediately.
+ * Before role transition, all the traffic handling configurations
+ * set by the active process should be flushed first.
+ *
+ * In summary, the operations are expected to happen in this order
+ * in "old" and "new" applications:
+ *   device: already configured by the old application
+ *   new:    start as active
+ *   new:    probe the same device
+ *   new:    set as standby
+ *   new:    configure the device
+ *   device: has configurations from old and new applications
+ *   old:    clear its device configuration
+ *   device: has only 1 configuration from new application
+ *   new:    set as active
+ *   device: downtime for connecting all to the new application
+ *   old:    shutdown
+ *
+ * @param standby
+ *   Role active if false, standby if true.
+ * @param flags
+ *   Role specific flags.
+ * @return
+ *   Positive value on success, -rte_errno value on error:
+ *   - (> 0) Number of switched devices.
+ *   - (-ENOTSUP) if not supported by a device.
+ *   - (-EPERM) if operation failed with a device.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_eth_process_set_role(bool standby, uint32_t flags);
+
 /**
  * Get the number of ports which are usable for the application.
  *
diff --git a/lib/ethdev/version.map b/lib/ethdev/version.map
index 17201fbe0f..d5d3ea5421 100644
--- a/lib/ethdev/version.map
+++ b/lib/ethdev/version.map
@@ -298,6 +298,9 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_flow_get_q_aged_flows;
 	rte_mtr_meter_policy_get;
 	rte_mtr_meter_profile_get;
+
+	# added in 23.03
+	rte_eth_process_set_role;
 };
 
 INTERNAL {
