Jim, it is not a matter of IBM leaving this market to vendor products.
It makes sense to use the utilities that come with the database products
and to use vendor products specifically designed for databases.  These
applications are complex so as to ensure database consistency and
other requirements needed for database backups.  Often they are already
being used by database administrators (they want to use the tools they
are already familar with).

What ADSM can provide is the storage management services, and hence these
products (including IBM's own DB2/6000 and DB2/2) are being updated to
use the ADSM api, and hence ADSM services.

SQL-BackTrack provides a lot of function specifically for databases and
provides a nice solution for storage management when used in conjunction
with ADSM.  When products do not have adequate backup solutions,
ADSM may develop it's own applications to handle that environment...watch
for some new Lotus Notes support to be provided with a future ADSM
release.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on why this is the best
approach....Actually, I've been to Salt River Project a few times back in
the days when I supported VM specifically...beautiful area!
thanks,
Cyndie Behrens
ITSO San Jose
cbehrens AT vnet.ibm DOT com
408-256-6934