1. A computer-implemented method of configuring a computer-implemented monitor for monitoring a computer controlled service, comprising: accessing a selected one of a plurality of monitoring templates based on a template selection input, each of the plurality of monitoring templates corresponding to a predefined group of services of a common service type, the predefined group of services being one of a plurality of groups of services that are grouped together based on having commonly monitored characteristics; displaying, with a computer processing unit on a display, a set of user interface configuration display screens from a user interface assembly corresponding to the selected template, the user interface configuration display screens allowing the user to select which of a plurality of pre-defined monitor functions are to be performed on the service, the pre-defined monitoring functions being selectable by the user independent of identifying an instance of the service itself, the set of user interface configuration display screens including a template selection screen and a configuration screen, the template selection screen providing a list of available templates, the available templates including templates that correspond to an operating system service, an application, a website, a web service, a web application, a database application, and a distributed application, the template selection screen receiving a user selection of one of the available templates, the configuration screen receiving user selections of configuration information for pre-defined monitor functions associated with the user selected one of the available templates, at least one of the pre-defined monitor functions including a user selection of a threshold level; receiving a configuration input indicative of user configuration of the selected template to reflect user selection of the pre-defined monitor functions, independent of identifying an instance of the service itself, through the set of user interface configuration display screens; generating, with the computer processing unit, a service definition that defines what monitor functions are to be performed on the service based on the configuration input and the selected template; outputting, with the computer processing unit, the service definition, to a program module comprising a programmability layer; automatically instantiating monitors and configuring monitoring logic in the instantiated monitors, using the programmability layer, to perform the monitor functions defined by the service definition; and deploying the instantiated monitors with the configured monitoring logic to monitor the service.