> But even for MS SQL server, it seemed to be a version-specific feature
> and not everyone runs the latest version.  Your link also points out
> that a recovery procedure is necessary after a restore.

That's mostly correct on both counts -- it depends on which version of
Windows, SQL Server, and which Writer one is using.  The "Recovery
Procedure" for a straight file backup merely brings the database to a
consistent state, although for more complex VSS backups, it's possible to
use the recovery procedure to roll the database forward beyond the backup
time.

In practice, this means that if you back up all the files on a
non-quiescent database from VSS, then restore these files and bring the
database back up, the database performs its recovery when being brought
up, and you'll end up with a consistent database as of the time the volume
was started.  The MSDE Writer is designed to behave like this, and good
for simple file-based backups -- and it's the lowest common denominator,
so that if you perform a VSS-based backup, it will work.

More complex backups are certainly *possible* using tools that are more
interactive with VSS; that's the kind of thing that a professional SQL
Server DBA would generally set up to match policies and technology.

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