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

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.

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. Source reviewed September 8, 2026.