Local rules for managing flows devolved from a central controller are received at a switch. The central controller determines a global set of rules for managing flows. The switch receives a packet from a flow from a network and determines whether a metric for the flow satisfies a dynamic condition to trigger a metric report to the central controller. In response to a determination that the metric for the flow at the switch satisfies the dynamic condition to trigger a metric report to the central controller, the switch sends a metric report to the central controller, and the switch then receives an instruction to manage the flow from the central controller. In response to a determination that the metric for the flow at the switch does not satisfy the dynamic condition to trigger the metric report to the central controller, the switch manages the flow using the local rules for managing flows.