Patent ID: 7899696

Claim:
A method for applying brokering methods to recoverability characteristics, comprising: translating, via at least one computer device, configuration information that pertains to a recoverability service category into distinct quantities of resource units each quantity attributable to a distinct recoverability service category, wherein the distinct recoverability service category is chosen from the group consisting of: a number of backup and archive copies required per a minimum provisioned capacity unit; a number of point in time replication copies per a minimum provisioned capacity unit; and a number of continuous replication copies per a minimum provisioned capacity unit; for each distinct recoverability service category, dividing, via the at least one computer device, the quantity of resource units by an associated cost for each of a set of service levels; for each distinct recoverability service category, determining, via the at least one computer device, a maximum quantity of each of the set of service levels that can be allocated for the quantity of resource units; generating a matrix including possible configurations of the quantity of resource units and the set of service levels for each distinct recoverability service category, using the at least one computing device; providing the matrix to a resource unit broker; receiving a distinct winning bid for each of the distinct recoverability service categories from an auction performed by the resource unit broker; and applying distinct multipliers to each of the winning bids to adjust the cost of each winning bid based on a service level of the bid using the at least one computing device.