Examples may include techniques for storing or accessing a key-value (KV) item stored in a memory that is part of a memcached system. A KV server coupled with a network input/output device may be capable of allocating one or more item slots from the memory and indicating to logic or features of the network input/output device whether the KV item is stored in a single allocated item slot of the memory, accessible via multiple allocated item slots of the memory or whether the KV item is being updated.