Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for best practices analysis of zones and components in a network. A database has information on components in the network and configuration settings for the components. Best practices rules indicate best practices configuration settings for components in the network. The database and the accessed best practices rules are processed to determine whether the configuration settings for the components in the network satisfy the best practices configuration settings for the components indicated in the best practices rules. A report is generated indicating whether the configuration settings of the components in the network satisfy the best practices configuration settings for the components indicated in the best practices rules.