Data requests can be serviced by multiple paths of smart network interface cards (NICs). For example, a system can receive a request for data at a first path of a smart NIC. The first path can be a hardware-implemented path. The system can send one or more parameters of the request to a second path of the smart NIC. The second path can be a slower path than the first path and configured to execute a routing algorithm for the request. The system can receive routing information for the request from the second path based on the routing algorithm and transmit the request to a storage node based on the routing information.