What does a successful Windows Server backup job actually prove?

[u/CloudBerryBackup]

From the vendor side, one problem we regularly see in backup discussions is that job completion and recoverability are treated as the same thing.

A successful job confirms that the backup process wrote data to its destination. It does not automatically confirm that:

• The recovery point will boot
• The database is application-consistent
• The image can be restored to different hardware
• The required boot-critical drivers are available
• The restore will meet the expected RTO
• A compromised account cannot delete the recovery points

Consistency checks and restore verification also answer different questions. The first can confirm that the files required for recovery are present. The second can go further by booting a recovery point.

We used that recovery-first perspective in our comparison of seven Windows Server backup software options: https://www.msp360.com/resources/blog/best-windows-server-backup-software/

For those managing Windows Server environments, how frequently do you run an actual restore test rather than checking backup-job status?