Microsoft SQL Server powers mission-critical workloads across industries—from transactional databases to business intelligence platforms. As organizations embrace hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, the need for a modern, scalable, and secure backup solution becomes paramount. Enter BlueXP Backup & Recovery —NetApp’s unified data protection platform, now fully equipped to safeguard SQL Server environments with enterprise-grade precision.
What Is BlueXP Backup & Recovery?
BlueXP Backup & Recovery is a modern, next-generation solution designed to simplify and automate backup operations across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments. Built on a policy-driven architecture, it delivers agility, security, and intelligence far beyond traditional tools like SnapCenter—empowering organizations to meet evolving data protection demands with confidence.
Expanded Capabilities for SQL Server Workloads
Here’s a comprehensive look at what BlueXP brings to the table for SQL Server:
1. Granular 3-2-1 Backup & Restore
- 3-2-1 Backup at the database level, not just volume or VM level
- Restore individual databases, without affecting the entire instance
- Point-in-time recovery using transaction log backups for minimal data loss
2. Application-Aware Protection
- Native integration with SQL Server VDI for application consistency, even during high transaction loads
- Supports incremental forever, and log backups with automated scheduling
3. Policy-Based Automation
- SLA-driven policies for backup frequency, retention, and replication
- Auto-discovery of SQL Server instances and databases for simplified onboarding
- Intelligent tiering to move older backups to cost-efficient storage (e.g., Azure Blob Archive, Amazon S3 Glacier)
4. Clone & Copy Data Management
- Instantaneous Cloning: Create space-efficient, zero-impact clones of SQL Server databases for dev/test, QA, analytics, or training
- Self-Service Provisioning: Enable developers and analysts to create and manage clones without administrator intervention
- Lifecycle Governance: Define expiration policies, usage limits, and automated cleanup to prevent copy sprawl
- Multi-Environment Support: Clone across on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments with consistent performance
- CI/CD Integration: Accelerate testing cycles by embedding clone creation into automated pipelines
5. Multi-Tenant & Identity Access Management
- Delegate backup and clone management across teams or business units
- Fine-grained permissions for DBAs, compliance officers, and IT admins
- Audit trails and activity logs for governance and accountability
6. Immutable & Air-Gapped Backups
- Protect against ransomware with write-once, read-many (WORM) storage
- Isolate backup copies from production environments
- Enable rapid recovery with clean, verified snapshots
7. Cross-Platform Interoperability
- Backup SQL Server running on physical servers, VMs.
- Support for Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) and Always On Availability Groups
- Integration with NetApp ONTAP, Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP, and Cloud Volumes ONTAP
8. Cloud-Native Disaster Recovery
- Replicate backups across regions or cloud providers
- Orchestrate failover and failback with minimal manual intervention
- Use cloud as a secondary site for DR without maintaining duplicate infrastructure
9. Compliance & Long-Term Archiving
- Retention policies aligned with GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX
- Archive backups for 7+ years with metadata tagging and searchability
- Automated deletion and lifecycle management to avoid storage sprawl
10. Unified Dashboard & Monitoring
- Real-time visibility into backup status, health, and storage consumption
- Alerts and notifications for failed jobs or anomalies.
- Create detailed reports to meet regulatory and compliance standards
Migrating from SnapCenter to BlueXP Backup & Recovery
BlueXP offers a guided migration path from SnapCenter, preserving existing backup configurations and minimizing disruption. The transition unlocks advanced features, cloud scalability, and centralized control—ideal for enterprises modernizing their data protection strategy.
Use Cases
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Use Case
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Benefit
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Hybrid Cloud Backup
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Single-click SQL Server protection across on-premises and cloud-based storage.
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Ransomware Recovery
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Restore clean, immutable backups in minutes.
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Compliance Archiving
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Retain backups for years in object or archival storage with automated policies.
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Multi-Region DR
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Replicate backups across geographies for failover.
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Dev/Test Cloning
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Effortlessly clone hundreds of production databases in minutes, with zero storage overhead
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Ready to Elevate Your SQL Server Backup Strategy?
BlueXP Backup & Recovery for Microsoft SQL Server will be generally available to customers starting Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Whether you're modernizing infrastructure, accelerating DevOps workflows, or reinforcing your compliance strategy, BlueXP provides the agility, intelligence, and enterprise-grade protection your organization needs. Explore the technical blog to learn how to seamlessly onboard, protect, restore, and clone SQL Server databases using NetApp BlueXP Backup & Recovery https://community.netapp.com/t5/Tech-ONTAP-Blogs/Public-preview-of-NetApp-Backup-and-Recovery-for-MSSQL-with-advanced-protection/ba-p/461980
Start your free trial today—and experience the future of SQL Server data protection.
Schedule a free demo and onboarding assistance by reaching us at ng-backupservice-feedback@netapp.com
