1. An apparatus, comprising: a network interface that is coupled to the data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom; a processor; one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform: detecting, at a first network entity, an occurrence of a particular network condition; comparing, by the first network entity, the particular network condition with one or more sample set rules of a first sample set of rules associated with the first network entity, the first sample set of rules comprising one or more rules from a full set of rules stored at a rule base, each rule from the full set of rules representing a network condition and an action to be taken in response to an occurrence of the network condition; and in response to determining that the particular network condition matches a particular rule from the first sample set of rules, notifying, by the first network entity, the rule base or one or more second network entities of the match, each second network entity being associated with a second sample set of rules that is different than the first sample set of rules.