receiving an allowable maximum value for each of a plurality of variables of a data structure resulting in a plurality of allowable maximum values, each of said plurality of variables to be stored by a network router;

after said receiving, determining a minimal bit number that can represent each of said plurality of allowable maximum values resulting in a plurality of minimal bit numbers;

after said determining, adding together each of said plurality of minimal bit numbers to generate a total of said plurality of minimal bit numbers;

after said adding, determining a minimum amount of memory of said network router for storing said total of said plurality of minimal bit numbers;

after said determining a minimum amount of memory, allocating said minimum amount of memory of said network router; and

after said allocating, determining where to store each of said plurality of variables within said minimum amount of allocated memory of said network router, said determining where to store involving utilizing a compression technique for data storage;

wherein each variable of said plurality of variables is associated with a first module and a second module that enable a software application to interact with said minimum amount of allocated memory of said network router.