Radio-based application processing server with network function accelerator at virtualization management offloading card

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• performing, by a virtualization controller running at an offloading card of a server, one or more configuration tasks pertaining to a first compute instance launched at the server, including allocation of at least a portion of memory of the server for use by the first compute instance, wherein the offloading card includes a first network function accelerator for radio-based applications;
• executing a first network function of a first radio-based application at the first compute instance;
• and
• executing a second network function of the first radio-based application at the first network function accelerator, wherein input of the second network function is based at least in part on output of the first network function.

A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions that when executed on a processor of an offloading card of a server:

• perform one or more virtualization management tasks pertaining to a compute instance launched at the server, including allocation of at least a portion of a memory of the server for use by the compute instance;
• obtain, from the compute instance, a request for a first network function of a radio-based application;
• and
• execute the first network function at a network function accelerator incorporated within the offloading card.