Privacy Statement for Microsoft Windows Server Solutions Best Practices Analyzer 1.0
To view the most recent version of this privacy statement, go to the Microsoft website (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=208543).
Microsoft is committed to protecting your privacy, while delivering software that brings you the performance, power, and convenience you desire in your personal computing. This privacy statement explains many of the data collection and use practices of the pre-release version of Microsoft Windows Server Solutions Best Practices Analyzer 1.0 (WSS BPA). This statement focuses on features that communicate with the Internet. It does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, products, or services.
WSS BPA can help you maintain a high level of system health by providing you with a report that identifies issues, including best practice violations, for any of the following products: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials; Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard; Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Standard; Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Premium, or Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials (collectively known as Windows Server Solutions). Only a user account with network administrator permissions can initiate a WSS BPA scan, and so, throughout this Privacy Statement, “You” refers to the network administrator. WSS BPA performs Windows Server Solutions application and configuration level verification by reading and reporting only. WSS BPA does not modify any system settings. Scan reports may direct users to online Knowledge Base articles and update publication sites at the Microsoft website to retrieve more information about specific issues.
Collection and Use of Your Information
Information that is collected by or sent to Microsoft is used by Microsoft and its controlled subsidiaries and affiliates to enable the features that you are using and to provide the services or carry out the transactions that you have requested or authorized. The information may also be used to analyze and improve Microsoft products and services WSS BPA does not send any information to Microsoft.
We may send certain mandatory service communications such as welcome letters, billing reminders, information on technical service issues, and security announcements. Some Microsoft services may send periodic member letters that are considered part of the service. We may occasionally request your feedback, invite you to participate in surveys, or send you promotional mailings to inform you of other products or services available from Microsoft and its affiliates.
In order to offer you a more consistent and personalized experience in your interactions with Microsoft, information collected through one Microsoft service may be combined with information obtained through other Microsoft services. We may also supplement the information we collect with information obtained from other companies. For example, we may use services from other companies that enable us to derive a general geographic area based on your IP address in order to customize certain services to your geographic area.
Except as described in this statement, personal information you provide will not be transferred to third parties without your consent. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as packaging, sending and delivering purchases and other mailings, answering customer questions about products or services, processing event registration, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.
Microsoft may access or disclose information about you, including the content of your communications, in order to: (a) comply with the law or respond to lawful requests or legal process; (b) protect the rights or property of Microsoft or our customers, including the enforcement of our agreements or policies governing your use of the services; or (c) act on a good faith belief that such access or disclosure is necessary to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, customers, or the public. We may also disclose personal information as part of a corporate transaction such as a merger or sale of assets.
Information that is collected by or sent to Microsoft by WSS BPA may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or service providers maintain facilities. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland.
Collection and Use of Information about Your Computer
When you use software with Internet-enabled features, information about your computer ("standard computer information") is sent to the websites you visit and online services you use. Microsoft uses standard computer information to provide you Internet-enabled services, to help improve our products and services, and for statistical analysis. Standard computer information typically includes information such as your IP address, operating system version, browser version, and regional and language settings. In some cases, standard computer information may also include hardware ID, which indicates the device manufacturer, device name, and version. If a particular feature or service sends information to Microsoft, standard computer information will be sent as well.
The privacy details for each WSS BPA feature, software, or service that is listed in this privacy statement describe what additional information is collected and how it is used.
Security of Your Information
Microsoft is committed to helping protect the security of your information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. For example, we store the information you provide on computer systems with limited access, which are located in controlled facilities.
Changes to This Privacy Statement
We will occasionally update this privacy statement to reflect changes in our products, services, and customer feedback. When we post changes, we will revise the "Updated" date at the beginning of this statement. If there are material changes to this statement or in how Microsoft will use your personal information, we will notify you either by posting a notice of such changes prior to implementing the change or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to periodically review this statement to be informed of how Microsoft is protecting your information.
For More Information
Microsoft welcomes your comments regarding this privacy statement. If you have questions about this statement or believe that we have not adhered to it, please contact us by e-mail at sbsprvcy@microsoft.com or by postal mail at:
Windows Server Solutions Privacy
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052 USA
Specific Features
The remainder of this statement addresses specific features of the WSS BPA.
WSS BPA Automatic Updates
What this feature does
WSS BPA helps provide a high level of system health by automatically examining the server and generating a list of issues and warnings of any best practice violations. Microsoft periodically releases updates to the WSS BPA tool. The updates may include new health scan rules and features.
If you have Internet connectivity, and have chosen to download automatic updates, WSS BPA uses Microsoft Update to download and install updates associated with the WSS BPA.
Choice and control
This feature is on by default. When you install WSS BPA, you can choose not to automatically download updates for the tool. To do so, unselect the Automatically Download Updates for the Microsoft WSS BPA checkbox during setup. When the automatic updates feature is enabled, if an update for WSS BPA is available, a message dialog will appear and prompt you to install the update. You can choose to install or cancel the update.
To opt out of automatic updates for WSS BPA after it is installed, the network administrator must uninstall WSS BPA, and then install the tool again. During reinstallation, clear the Automatically download updates for the Microsoft WSS BPA check box to opt out of the service.
Important information
When you opt in to WSS BPA Automatic Updates, the server update configuration does not change. For more details about what information is collected and how it is used, see the Update Services Privacy Statement at the Microsoft website (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=193006).
WSS BPA Customer Experience Improvement Program
Important
This feature is only applicable when you run the WSS BPA tool on Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, or Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials. It is not available when you run the WSS BPA on Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Standard or Windows MultiPoint 2011 Premium.
What this feature does
The Customer Experience Improvement Program (“CEIP”) collects basic information from the WSS BPA about the WSS BPA configuration and how you use our software and services to identify trends and usage patterns. The CEIP also collects the type and number of errors you encounter, software performance, and the speed of services. The CEIP will not collect your name, address, or other contact information.
Information collected, processed, or transmitted
The CEIP reports generally consist of configuration, performance and reliability and program use information about your WSS BPA.The CEIP also generates a globally unique identifier (GUID) that is stored on your computer and sent with CEIP reports to uniquely identify your computer. The GUID is a randomly generated number that does not contain personal information. When CEIP reports are sent to Microsoft, standard computer information is also sent.
For more information about the information collected, processed, or transmitted by CEIP, see the CEIP privacy statement at (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=193007).
Use of information
We use this information to improve the quality, reliability, and performance of Microsoft software and services.
Choice and control
This is an optional feature that is not turned on or off by default. During setup, the network administrator will be presented with a screen where he or she can choose whether to participate in the CEIP. After choosing whether to participate, the installation continues.
If you turn this feature on, the CEIP automatically sends Microsoft information about your hardware and how you use WSS BPA. We do not use this information to identify or contact you. The CEIP feature will cause your computer to create a small file which will be sent to Microsoft. This file helps us collect information about problems that you have while using the software.
The network administrator is offered the opportunity to participate in the CEIP during server setup. The CEIP is enabled on WSS BPA when you select I want to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program.
To disable the CEIP for WSS BPA after it is installed, the network administrator must uninstall WSS BPA and then install the tool again. During reinstallation choose the radio button “I do not want to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program” to opt out of the service.
WSS BPA Server Health Scan Rules
What this feature does
WSS BPA scans the server to verify whether specific configurations are set according to the recommended best practices.
Information collected, processed, or transmitted
In this release, WSS BPA scans for best practices in basic functionalities including deployment, server console integration, self-update from Microsoft Update, and runs health tests against a set of rules using the Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer 2.0. No information is sent to Microsoft.
The rules that are contained in this release are the minimum required. Microsoft may make additional rules available later through Microsoft Update and also on the Microsoft Download Center. To view the most recent rules, go to the Microsoft Website (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=208541).
Use of information
WSS BPA does not send scan results to Microsoft. Network administrators can view a report of scan results from within the WSS BPA user interface.
Choice and control
When you install WSS BPA, you can choose to run a BPA scan on the server each day by selecting Integrate Microsoft WSS BPA scan results into the server console on the Prepare to install the Microsoft WSS Best Practices Analyzer page of the setup wizard. This feature is only applicable when you run the WSS BPA tool on Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard or Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials or Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials. It is not available when you run the WSS BPA on Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Standard; Windows MultiPoint 2011 Premium.
You can manually initiate a BPA scan at any time.