Patent ID: 8660995

Claim:
A method of flexible event data content management for relevant event and alert analysis within a distributed processing system, the method comprising: analyzing, by an interface connector, custom data within a raw event to determine a location to store the custom data, the custom data in a first data format; storing, by the interface connector, extended data within the raw event in a common event data format, the extended data indicating the location of the custom data; receiving, by an event analyzer, the event; and determining whether there are custom customer rules that need the custom data; and if there are such custom customer rules, retrieving the custom data based on the extended data from the event, including: determining if the custom data is stored in the extended data; and if the custom data is stored within the extended data, extracting the custom data from the extended data within the event; and applying the custom customer rules to the extended data; if there are no such custom customer rules, applying the base rules to a base portion of the event.