A method for facilitating the operation of a virtual network, the method comprising: determining, by a controller device (22, 100) for facilitating operation of a virtual network (34, 207v, 1207v), a set of two or more related processes (216, 1216) executed by respective devices in the virtual network, the related processes including a first process executed by a first device of a plurality of devices that are part of a physical network and a second, related process executed by a second, different device of the plurality of devices, wherein the virtual network is executed as an overlay network which extends the physical network to virtual switches executed by the plurality of devices including a first virtual switch executed by the first device and a second virtual switch executed by the second device, and wherein determining the set of two or more related processes comprises forming the set to include processes that are substantially similar; receiving, by the controller device, data (271, 1271) for the set of two or more related processes from the respective devices, wherein the data for the set of two or more related processes from the respective devices comprises a first parameter set from each of the devices, wherein a parameter set from a device includes one or more quantitative parameters that each describes a state of one of the set of two or more related processes; aggregating, by the controller device, the data for the set of two or more related processes to form aggregated data (290, 1290) for the set of two or more related processes; receiving, by the controller device, an indication of detected component failure for one or more of the set of two or more related processes; training, by the controller device and using the first parameter sets and the indication of detected component failure, a trainable automated classifier to develop a classifying structure that distinguishes between parameter sets that logically associate with a detected component failure and parameter sets that do not logically associate with a detected component failure; receiving, by the controller device, a second parameter set from each of the devices; and predicting, by the controller device using the second parameter set from each of the devices, the trainable automated classifier and the classifying structure, a failure of a first one of the set of two or more related processes. determining, by a controller device (22, 100) for facilitating operation of a virtual network (34, 207v, 1207v), a set of two or more related processes (216, 1216) executed by respective devices in the virtual network, the related processes including a first process executed by a first device of a plurality of devices that are part of a physical network and a second, related process executed by a second, different device of the plurality of devices, wherein the virtual network is executed as an overlay network which extends the physical network to virtual switches executed by the plurality of devices including a first virtual switch executed by the first device and a second virtual switch executed by the second device, and wherein determining the set of two or more related processes comprises forming the set to include processes that are substantially similar; receiving, by the controller device, data (271, 1271) for the set of two or more related processes from the respective devices, wherein the data for the set of two or more related processes from the respective devices comprises a first parameter set from each of the devices, wherein a parameter set from a device includes one or more quantitative parameters that each describes a state of one of the set of two or more related processes; aggregating, by the controller device, the data for the set of two or more related processes to form aggregated data (290, 1290) for the set of two or more related processes; receiving, by the controller device, an indication of detected component failure for one or more of the set of two or more related processes; training, by the controller device and using the first parameter sets and the indication of detected component failure, a trainable automated classifier to develop a classifying structure that distinguishes between parameter sets that logically associate with a detected component failure and parameter sets that do not logically associate with a detected component failure; receiving, by the controller device, a second parameter set from each of the devices; and predicting, by the controller device using the second parameter set from each of the devices, the trainable automated classifier and the classifying structure, a failure of a first one of the set of two or more related processes.