An automated method stored in one or more data-storage devices and executed using one or more processors of a management server computer of a distributed computing system to classify and troubleshoot problems in information technology (“IT”) systems or services, the method comprising:
- generating an alert when real-time key performance indicator (“KPI”) data used to monitor an IT system or service violates a KPI threshold, the KPI threshold violation indicates a problem in the IT system or service;
- determining a real-time event-type distribution from event messages generated by event sources associated with the IT system or service;
- comparing the real-time event-type distribution with historical event-type distributions recorded in a historical record of KPI aberrations in previously recorded KPI data of the IT system or service to identify a problem type of a historical event-type distribution closest to the real-time event-type distribution;
- and
- when a problem type is identified, determining remedial action associated with the problem type that when executed remedies the problem identified by the problem type.