Abstract: Method and system for automatically determining and updating thresholds based on collected data samples for counter variables being monitored by a network management application. Historical data is accumulated and used to determine the mean and standard deviation of the monitored counter variables based on the aggregated sample values and a threshold factor is applied to the standard deviation and the resulting value added to the mean to establish the threshold value. The threshold value, which is adaptively updated, is used to determine whether the subsequently sampled values of the monitored counter variables are within a normal range, or that a potential problem exists requiring intervention by a network operator.