An example method for facilitating hierarchical clustering in a geographically dispersed network environment is provided and includes receiving a packet at one of a plurality of adaptive security appliance (ASA) units in one of a plurality of ASA clusters in a cluster domain of a network environment, identifying the packet as matching an inter-data center live traffic profile, identifying a target ASA cluster in the plurality of ASA clusters in the cluster domain, querying a domain director in the target ASA cluster for a flow owner, and if the flow owner is identified by the domain director, forwarding the packet to the flow owner in the target cluster, and if the flow owner is not identified by the domain director, and the domain director includes a flow state for a flow to which the packet belongs, designating the ASA unit as the flow owner.