A computer-implemented method for configuring a computing device for predictive maintenance, a computer-implemented method for predictive maintenance as well as a predictive maintenance apparatus are disclosed. Training log files including event sequences are examined iteratively for sequences of increasing length in order to determine a set of configuration data containing event sequences that have high predictive power for a system failure. Forward and backward gap values are defined such that not only sequences in the exact same temporal order as in the training log files are examined but also sequences with slightly different temporal ordering. In this way, possibly imprecise and/or incorrect time stamps in log files are compensated.