Performing services on behalf of low-power devices

An article of manufacture for using a virtual device to respond to a data request from a requesting device on behalf of a low-power device, wherein the data request is addressed to the low-power device and the virtual device executes in an operating system running in a virtual machine, the article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

• receiving, by the virtual device, the data request from the requesting device, wherein the received data request comprises a request for application data and at least one processing instruction to be performed on the application data;
• determining, by the virtual device, that the processing instruction requires functionality that is not supported by the low-power device and that the virtual device is configured to respond to the received data request on behalf of the low-power device;
• retrieving, by the virtual device, low-power device data from a database when the virtual device determines that the virtual device is configured to respond to the received data request on behalf of the low-power device;
• selecting, by the virtual device, a virtual application configured to execute the at least one processing instruction in the operating system running in the virtual machine;
• generating, by the virtual device using the virtual application, a data response based on the retrieved low-power device data and the processing instruction;
• and
• sending, by the virtual device, the data response to the requesting device.

A system for using a virtual device to respond to a data request from a requesting device on behalf of a low-power device, wherein the data request is addressed to the low-power device and the virtual device executes in an operating system running in a virtual machine, the system comprising:

• a network receiver configured to receive the data request from the requesting device, wherein the received data request comprises a request for application data and at least one processing instruction to be performed on the application data;
• a memory;
• a processor configured to
• determine that the processing instruction requires functionality that is not supported by the low-power device and that the virtual device is configured to respond to the received data request on behalf of the low-power device,
• retrieve at least one low-power device data item from the memory when the virtual device determines that the virtual device is configured to respond to the received data request on behalf of the low-power device,
• select a virtual application configured to execute the at least one processing instruction in the operating system running in the virtual machine, and
• generate, using the virtual application, a data response based on the retrieved low-power device data item and the processing instruction;
• and
• a network transmitter configured to send the data response to the requesting device.