Patent ID: 8019870

Claim:
A machine-implemented method for allocating resources to a first apparatus, comprising: specifying, before implementation of the first apparatus, a first resource requirement and a second resource requirement, wherein the first and second resource requirements represent alternative resource requirements for the first apparatus, wherein allocating resources satisfying any one of the alternative resource requirements results in instantiation of the first apparatus, and wherein the first apparatus is an instant data center (IDC) created on-demand by request of a first user, the IDC comprising a set of resource requirements including the first and second resource requirements; determining, during the implementation of the first apparatus, that a first resource, which satisfies the first resource requirement for said first apparatus, is not available; based on said first resource not being available, determining, during the implementation of the first apparatus, that a second resource, which satisfies the second alternative resource requirement, is available; allocating said second resource to said first apparatus; requesting implementation of a second apparatus, wherein the second apparatus is a networked computer system requested on-demand by a second user and comprising a third resource requirement and a fourth resource requirement; determining, during implementation of the second apparatus, that the second resource required for the third resource requirement is allocated to the already implemented first apparatus and is not available for the second apparatus; de-allocating the second resource from the first apparatus and allocating the first second resource to the second apparatus; and discounting a price charged to the first user implementing the first apparatus as a result of the de-allocation of the second resource from the first apparatus, wherein each of the first and second resource requirements is a desired attribute of at least a portion of said first apparatus.