05/30/2026
Senior SQL Server DBAs don't distrust third party backups for no reason. They've lived through restores that failed when everything looked fine on paper.
The problem is many backup tools focus on job success instead of true recoverability. If the LSN chain is broken, none of it matters.
At scale, though, "just use native backups" is not always realistic. Large databases and shrinking backup windows force teams to rethink strategy.
VSS based snapshots can absolutely be part of a solid recovery plan when they're implemented correctly at the SQL Server engine level.
What convinced you to trust a non native SQL Server backup solution?