1. A method for managing shared resources for processing a workload comprising work units distributed across a plurality of data processing systems in accordance with a common performance standard, each of said systems having access to a stored representation of said performance standard and performing assigned work units in accordance with one or more control parameters for accessing shared resources, said method comprising: (a) measuring at each of said systems, performance of the work units on said system to create local performance data; (b) sending said local performance data from at least some of said systems to at least one other system in the plurality of systems; (c) receiving, at the at least one other system in the plurality of systems, said local performance data of said sending step (b) to create remote performance data; and (d) responding to said local and remote performance data by adjusting at least one of said control parameters for accessing shared resources to modify the performance of said work units on said systems to achieve said common performance standard.