The answer is to first onboard the servers to Azure Arc and enable Defender for Cloud. This is correct because Azure Arc establishes a management identity and secure connectivity for on-premises Windows Server 2022 machines, allowing Defender for Cloud to apply security policies and forward alerts to Microsoft Sentinel. Without Arc, the servers are invisible to Azure’s control plane, so alerts cannot be collected or routed. On the SC-200 exam, this tests your understanding of hybrid security prerequisites—a common trap is assuming you can directly install the Azure Monitor Agent or connect Sentinel without Arc. Remember, Arc is the bridge: no Arc, no Defender for Cloud policy enforcement, no alert forwarding. Memory tip: “Arc first, alerts forward.”
SC-200 Manage a security operations environment Practice Question
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of manage a security operations environment. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud to monitor hybrid workloads. You need to ensure that security alerts from on-premises servers running Windows Server 2022 are forwarded to Microsoft Sentinel. The servers are not yet onboarded to Azure Arc. What should you do first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Onboard the servers to Azure Arc and enable Defender for Cloud.
On-premises servers must first be onboarded to Azure Arc to establish a management identity and connectivity with Azure. Without Azure Arc, Defender for Cloud cannot apply its security policies or forward alerts to Microsoft Sentinel. Enabling Defender for Cloud on the servers after Arc onboarding allows security alerts to be collected and forwarded to Sentinel.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Install the Azure Monitor Agent on the servers.
Why it's wrong here
AMA requires Arc or Azure VMs; without Arc, installation fails.
✗
Deploy Azure Policy to enable Defender for Cloud on the servers.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Policy cannot target non-Azure resources without Arc.
✓
Onboard the servers to Azure Arc and enable Defender for Cloud.
Why this is correct
Arc provides the identity and management needed for Defender for Cloud to monitor on-prem servers.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Install Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on the servers.
Why it's wrong here
Defender for Endpoint alone does not integrate with Sentinel via Defender for Cloud.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume installing an agent (AMA or MDE) is sufficient to forward alerts to Sentinel, but Microsoft requires Azure Arc as the foundational onboarding step to bring non-Azure servers into the Azure management plane before Defender for Cloud can generate and forward security alerts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Arc extends Azure Resource Manager (ARM) to non-Azure machines, creating a resource ID and enabling Azure management services like Defender for Cloud. Once Arc-enabled, the Defender for Cloud auto-provisioning process installs the Log Analytics agent (or AMA) and configures the security events data collection rule, which then streams alerts to the connected Sentinel workspace. Without Arc, the servers lack an ARM resource identity, making it impossible for Defender for Cloud to apply its monitoring and alerting pipeline.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SC-200 question in full detail.
Manage a security operations environment — This question tests Manage a security operations environment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Onboard the servers to Azure Arc and enable Defender for Cloud. — On-premises servers must first be onboarded to Azure Arc to establish a management identity and connectivity with Azure. Without Azure Arc, Defender for Cloud cannot apply its security policies or forward alerts to Microsoft Sentinel. Enabling Defender for Cloud on the servers after Arc onboarding allows security alerts to be collected and forwarded to Sentinel.
What should I do if I get this SC-200 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your organization uses Microsoft Defender for Cloud to monitor hybrid workloads. You need to ensure that security alerts from on-premises servers are sent to Microsoft Sentinel. What should you configure?
medium
A.Install a third-party SIEM connector on the servers and forward logs to Sentinel.
B.Deploy Azure Policy on the servers to audit security settings.
✓ C.Connect the on-premises servers to Azure Arc and deploy the Log Analytics agent.
D.Configure a site-to-site VPN to Azure and enable network logging.
Why C: Azure Arc enables on-premises servers to be managed as Azure resources and to install the Log Analytics agent, forwarding logs to Sentinel. Option A is wrong because Azure Policy can enforce configurations but does not directly send alerts. Option C is wrong because a third-party SIEM would bypass Sentinel. Option D is wrong because a VPN does not solve log ingestion.
Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This SC-200 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SC-200 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.