US Patent 11010165 Buffer allocation with memory-based configuration

A network processor provides for buffer allocation in a manner supporting virtual machines. Each memory allocation request is associated with an aura and a pool, which can be assigned to distinct virtual functions. When parsing a request, lookup tables for the auras and pools are generated and expanded as needed to accommodate any number of concurrent functions. Based on the identified pool of the request, a corresponding stack of pointers is accessed, and a pointer is returned to enable access to the memory.