Patent ID: 6968323

Claim:
A computer implementable system for allocation and pricing of classified resources of a web server farm to customers by a resource center, wherein said allocating of said resources comprises transferring, by said resource center, said resources from one customer to another customer, said system comprising: means for providing different levels of service by dynamically allocating and pricing said resources based on customers' changing needs, and their willingness to pay for different service levels, wherein said dynamically allocating and pricing resources is accomplished through mutual on-line negotiations between said customers and said resource center through electronic communications, wherein said mutual online negotiations takes place between software-based agents representing said customers and said resource center, and wherein each class of resources has some units dedicated to specific customers with remaining units being dynamically allocated to customers by the resource center; means for enabling the customers to provide price and service level related inputs to their respective software-based agents; and means for said software-based agents representing customers to monitor the usage of resources allocated to them and the levels of service being obtained, wherein said allocation occurs using a dynamic negotiation between said customers and said resource center, wherein said dynamic negotiation comprises any of said customers requesting said resource center to acquire and release resources at any time; said resource center conducting an auction of all available resources in a shared resource pool at predetermined intervals to determine said allocation and pricing of said resources for a subsequent time interval; and said resource center publishing said prices at which said resources of said shared resource pool can be acquired or released by said customers, whereby said customers use said prices for determining whether to request releasing or acquiring said resources.