# Decide how to use Arc best-practice assessments without treating findings as change approval

> How should an Arc best-practice assessment be scheduled and its findings assigned?

- Canonical URL: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/dse-20260908-002-decide-how-to-use-arc-best-practice-assessments-without-treating-findings-as/
- Publisher: Detection Systems & Engineering (DSE Security)
- Author: DSE Security Editorial Team
- Published: 2026-09-08T18:17:09+00:00
- Modified: 2026-09-08T18:17:13+00:00
- Last reviewed by DSE: 2026-09-08
- Resource type: Guide
- DSE priority: Information
- Topics: Business Continuity, IT
- Reading time: 1 minutes

## What you need to know

How should an Arc best-practice assessment be scheduled and its findings assigned?

## Potentially affected

Use this review when considering the assessment on an Arc-enabled Windows Server.

## DSE recommendation

Choose a review cadence and name the person who will examine each report.

## Article

## Source facts

Microsoft describes an assessment that compares Windows Server configuration with its best practices and supports scheduled or manually initiated runs. Its review covers areas including security, Hyper-V, clustering, and IIS, producing findings with remediation guidance. The documented Azure resource workflow labels Best Practices Assessment as a preview. [Microsoft documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/manage/azure-arc/best-practices-assessment-for-windows-server).

## Applicability

Use this review when considering the assessment on an Arc-enabled Windows Server. Check the current prerequisites and preview status, and identify the specific server and workload owner before enrolling it.

## DSE recommendation

Choose a review cadence and name the person who will examine each report. Assign findings to the relevant workload owner, preserve the original assessment context, and evaluate proposed fixes individually. Ask the owner to distinguish an actionable mismatch from an intentional exception. Plan a pilot assessment on a representative server before deciding how broadly to enable the service.

## Verification

Record when the assessment ran, which machine it examined, and which findings were returned. Follow a selected finding through investigation and an approved test change. Rerun the relevant assessment and compare results with actual workload behavior. Retain unresolved findings with an owner and a specific next review date.

## Official references

[Microsoft Learn: How to configure best practices assessment for Arc-enabled Windows servers](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/manage/azure-arc/best-practices-assessment-for-windows-server). Source reviewed September 8, 2026.

## Primary reference

- Name: How to configure best practices assessment for Arc-enabled Windows servers
- Authority: Microsoft Learn
- URL: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/manage/azure-arc/best-practices-assessment-for-windows-server
- Source publication date: Not stated by the source

## Citation and use

Preferred citation: “Decide how to use Arc best-practice assessments without treating findings as change approval,” DSE Security, https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/dse-20260908-002-decide-how-to-use-arc-best-practice-assessments-without-treating-findings-as/
Publishing principles: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/dse-updates-editorial-methodology/
Usage and citation policy: https://update.dsesecurity.com/usage/
Copyright © 2026 Detection Systems & Engineering. All rights reserved.