The present disclosure relates to maintaining network services during kernel update operations. According to one embodiment, a server generates a second computing system executing a second system kernel. The second system kernel is updated in relation to a first system kernel executing on a first computing system. The server pauses network services operating on the first computing system. The server generates a snapshot of the network services operating on the first computing system. While the network services are paused on the first computing system, the server caches data packets received from client devices and destined for network services operating on the first system, migrates the network services to the second computing system, and restores the network service snapshot to the second computing system. Upon completing the migration, the server sends the cached data packets to the one or more network services operating on the second computing system.