A system receives a management configuration set defining at least one event to be detected in the application server, and a respective associated action to be taken upon detection of the events. For each of the events to be detected in the application server, the system instantiates an event class to detect the event. For each of the actions to be taken upon detection of the event by the event class, the system instantiates a respective action class to perform that action on behalf of the event class that detects the event. The system operates the instantiated event classes to detect events and to send an event notification to each of the respective action class associated with that event.