1. A tool for monitoring system operation, said tool comprising: a data acquisition unit, said data acquisition unit receiving signals from sensors, said sensors being disposed upon a system being monitored and providing parametric snapshots of system operation; a memory storing a training set, said training set containing a plurality of system vectors, each of said system vectors being representative of an expected operating state of said system being monitored; a processor receiving snapshots from said data acquisition unit and comparing received snapshots with system vectors from said memory, said processor selectively applying a lensing similarity function to said comparison; and an output unit, said processor providing results of said comparison to said output unit.