1. A method comprising the following steps: generating a virtual device based on one or more physical devices; mapping multiple device actions of the one or more physical devices to multiple device actions of the virtual device exposed by the virtual device; specifying a role associated with each of one or more given users; incorporating (i) discretionary access control techniques, (ii) policy-based access control techniques, (iii) a physical device-level partial ordering of actions, and (iv) the role associated with each of the one or more given users to determine a resolution in response to a set of multiple user access requests for two or more of the multiple device actions of the virtual device; and executing the two or more device actions of the virtual device on the virtual device for the one or more given users in accordance with said resolution by coordinating the execution of two or more corresponding device actions of the one or more physical devices on the one or more physical devices based on said mapping; wherein the steps is carried out by at least one computing device.