1. A computerized method of virtualizing graphics resources comprising: allocating, by a data processing system, a graphics resource to a plurality of graphics clients, wherein the graphics resource comprises graphics hardware; assigning an identifier to reference the graphics resource in a command; sending the identifier to the graphics client that requested allocation of the graphics resource; and processing commands for access to the graphics resource from the plurality of graphics clients, wherein processing commands comprises: locating the commands in a command stream; replacing the identifier in the commands with an address for the graphics resource, wherein the identifier is different than the address.