A means for assigning database objects to a backup storage group proceeds by collecting information related to a plurality of backup devices. The information collected includes speed of recovery, time to backup, and a recovery rank for each device. A backup pool is defined, using a database configuration parameter, to contain one or more of the plurality of backup devices. A determination is made to store a backup of a data object in a first device of the plurality of backup devices based on the collected information and a priority rank associated with the data object.