1. A method for intelligently allocating cache requests among caches in a distributed cache system, the method comprising: allocating, at a computing device, a cache request to a first cache of the distributed cache system based on a marker identifying a mission critical data type associated with a cache object associated with the cache request, wherein the mission critical data type is identified based upon information gathered by monitoring operations concerning a number of cache objects of different types generated by user requests, and wherein the first cache comprises a local cache; monitoring the caches in the distributed cache system; when a slowdown in service is detected at the first cache, switching the first cache to a safe cache mode of operation; periodically performing a test to determine whether the first cache has resumed normal operations; when the first cache has resumed normal operations, switching the first cache to a normal cache mode of operations.