A method of selective workload off-loading across a multiple data center environment, the multiple data centers being physically separated, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining, at a first data center, a user request from a requesting user; classifying the user request based on one or more classification criterion; off-loading by the first data center at least a portion of a workload associated with the classified user request to at least a second data center to be processed, wherein the off-loading step is at least based on one or more administrative policies associated with at least one of the first data center and the second data center; processing the workload such that the user request is satisfied in accordance with a service level agreement for the requesting user, wherein each of the multiple data centers is operative to process the user request, characterized by the steps of: determining, at the first data center, one or more metric values associated with one or more benefits of off-loading a portion of the workload, wherein the determining step further comprises: comparing the metric value to a threshold value and using a result of the comparison as a trigger to initiate workload off-loading, and adjusting the threshold value, wherein the threshold value adjusting step further comprises applying a constant decay factor to the threshold value, and resetting the threshold value when the step of off-loading the portion of the workload is unsuccessful; wherein the off-loading step further comprises causing at least one resource associated with the second data center to be made available to a resource scheduler associated with the first data center such that at least the portion of the workload associated with the classified user request can be routed directly to the at least one resource associated with the second data center. obtaining, at a first data center, a user request from a requesting user; classifying the user request based on one or more classification criterion; off-loading by the first data center at least a portion of a workload associated with the classified user request to at least a second data center to be processed, wherein the off-loading step is at least based on one or more administrative policies associated with at least one of the first data center and the second data center; processing the workload such that the user request is satisfied in accordance with a service level agreement for the requesting user, wherein each of the multiple data centers is operative to process the user request, determining, at the first data center, one or more metric values associated with one or more benefits of off-loading a portion of the workload, wherein the determining step further comprises: comparing the metric value to a threshold value and using a result of the comparison as a trigger to initiate workload off-loading, and adjusting the threshold value, wherein the threshold value adjusting step further comprises applying a constant decay factor to the threshold value, and resetting the threshold value when the step of off-loading the portion of the workload is unsuccessful; wherein the off-loading step further comprises causing at least one resource associated with the second data center to be made available to a resource scheduler associated with the first data center such that at least the portion of the workload associated with the classified user request can be routed directly to the at least one resource associated with the second data center. comparing the metric value to a threshold value and using a result of the comparison as a trigger to initiate workload off-loading, and adjusting the threshold value, wherein the threshold value adjusting step further comprises applying a constant decay factor to the threshold value, and resetting the threshold value when the step of off-loading the portion of the workload is unsuccessful; wherein the off-loading step further comprises causing at least one resource associated with the second data center to be made available to a resource scheduler associated with the first data center such that at least the portion of the workload associated with the classified user request can be routed directly to the at least one resource associated with the second data center.