Virtualization for low-power networks

1. A computer-implemented method of managing virtual devices operating in a virtual network, the method comprising:

receiving, by a virtual device coordinator, a low-power device descriptor from a low-power device;

determining, by the virtual device coordinator, a low-power device classification based on the received low-power device descriptor;

determining, by the virtual device coordinator, functionality corresponding to an application executing on the low-powered device based on the low-power device classification, wherein the determined low-power device classification is indicative of one or more of multimedia control functionality, lighting control functionality, energy control functionality, and temperature control functionality;

creating, by the virtual device coordinator, a virtual device based on the determined low-power device classification and the received low-power device descriptor;

emulating, by the virtual device coordinator with at least one virtual application executing on the virtual device, at least a portion of the functionality corresponding to the application and the virtual device executing in an operating system running in a virtual machine; and

storing, by the virtual device coordinator, an association record indicating that the configured virtual device is associated with the low-power device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the virtual device coordinator, a data request from a requesting device;

determining, by the virtual device coordinator, that the received data request is addressed to the low-power device; and

sending, by the virtual device coordinator, the received data request to the virtual device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the low-power device descriptor comprises at least one field indicative of power characteristics associated with the low-power device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined low-power device classification is indicative of one or more of a cluster value of the low-power device, a device manufacturer, home automation functionality, telecommunication functionality, mobile service functionality and/or industrial management functionality.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual device is an instance of an object-oriented class.

6. A virtual device management system, comprising:

a network receiver configured to receive a low-power device descriptor from a low-power device;

a virtual device coordinator coupled to the network receiver configured to

determining a low-power device classification based on the received low-power device descriptor,

determining functionality corresponding to an application executing on the low-powered device based on the low-power device classification, wherein the determined low-power device classification is indicative of one or more of multimedia control functionality, lighting control functionality, energy control functionality, and temperature control functionality,

create a virtual device based on the determined low-powered device classification and the received low-power device descriptor,

determining, by the virtual device coordinator, functionality corresponding to an application executing on the low-powered device based on the received low-power device descriptor, and

emulate at least a portion of the functionality corresponding to the application with at least one virtual application executing on the virtual device, the virtual device executing in an operating system running in a virtual machine; and

computer readable memory coupled to the virtual device coordinator and configured to store one or more association records indicating an association between the virtual device and the low-power device.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the virtual device coordinator is further configured to determine a low-power device classification based on the received low-power device descriptor.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the virtual device coordinator is further configured to configure the virtual device based on the low-power device classification.

9. An article of manufacture for managing virtual devices operating in a virtual network, the article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

receiving a low-power device descriptor from a low-power device;

determining a low-power device classification based on the received low-power device descriptor, wherein the determined low-power device classification is indicative of one or more of multimedia control functionality, lighting control functionality, energy control functionality, and temperature control functionality;

determining, by the virtual device coordinator, functionality corresponding to an application executing on the low-powered device based on the low-power device classification; creating a virtual device based on the determined low-power device classification and the received low-power device descriptor;

emulating, by the virtual device coordinator with at least one virtual application executing on the virtual device, at least a portion of the functionality corresponding to the application and the virtual device executing in an operating system running in a virtual machine; and

storing an association record indicating that the configured virtual device is associated with the low-power device.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9 , the computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing the method further comprising:

receiving a data request from a requesting device;

determining that the received data request is addressed to the low-power device; and

sending the received data request to the virtual device when the received data request is determined to be addressed to the low-power device.