Patent ID: 8019871

Claim:
A method for using computer resources, said method comprising: receiving, at a processor, a processing request from a first node in a first computer grid that is part of a plurality of computer grids, said computer grids of the plurality assigned to corresponding different trust levels; and passing, by the processor, said request to computer resources in a second computer grid of the plurality of computer grids, said second computer grid assigned to a lower trust level than a first trust level assigned to the first computer grid, wherein the request is passed to the second computer grid based on a cost criterion and one or more security criteria associated with the request, the one or more security criteria selected from among information identifying one or more trusted computer grids of the plurality of computer grids and information identifying one or more trusted organizations associated with the plurality of computer grids, and wherein passing said request to said second computer grid is based on determining that said cost criterion cannot be satisfied by said first computer grid assigned to said first trust level.