Thanks for taking the time to write the article. Given the alternatives I strongly prefer employing a SQLCLR for implementing file system access from T-SQL. However, in this case a custom solution for handling binaries may not be necessary. I see this as a great use case for FileTables. Unlike the C# solution in the article, the native T-SQL solution alluded to and using FILESTREAM directly, no coding is required to bring a binary into the database when using FileTables. FileTables leverage FILESTREAM but with the added advantage of offering us the option of managing files in the database via a UNC path accessible through Windows Explorer or other standard file-system tools.

FileTables