Analyzing patterns in a volume of data and taking an action based on the analysis involves receiving data and training the data to create training examples, and then selecting features that are predictive of different classes of patterns in the data stream, using the training examples. The process further involves training in parallel a set of artificial neural networks (“ANNs”), using the data, based on the selected features, and extracting only active nodes that are representative of a class of patterns in the data stream from the set of ANNs. The process continues with adding class labels to each extracted active node, classifying patterns in the data based on the class-labeled active nodes, and taking an action based on the classifying patterns in the data.