A framework is provided within a database system for specifying database monitoring rules that will be evaluated as part of the execution code path of database events being monitored. The occurrence of a selected database event triggers a rule that evaluates some parameter of an object related to the event against a condition in the rule. If the condition is met, a specified action is taken that can alter the execution of the database event or database system performance. Lightweight aggregation tables are utilized to enable aggregation of object parameter values so that presently occurring events can be compared to a summary of the object parameter values from previously occurring database events. Signatures are assigned to queries based on the structure of the query plan so that information in the lightweight aggregation tables can be grouped according to query signature.