{{More citations needed|date=January 2024}} A '''LAN-free backup ''' is a backup of server data to a shared, central storage device without sending the data over the local area network (LAN). It is usually achieved by using a storage area network (SAN).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Preston |first=W. Curtis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6-w4fXbBInoC |title=Backup & Recovery: Inexpensive Backup Solutions for Open Systems |date=2007-01-03 |publisher=O'Reilly Media |isbn=978-0-596-55504-7 |pages=210–212 |language=en}}</ref>

Note that trivial backup to a dedicated, unshared storage device (such as local tape drive) does not meet the definition.{{Cn|date=January 2024}}

==Technical aspects== The goal of LAN-free backup is to reduce the load on LAN and reduce the time it takes to complete the backup.<ref name=":0" /> It offers an alternative way of backup than a simple data copy to network-attached storage (NAS) over LAN.{{Cn|date=January 2024}}

It comes in different flavours: * with backup server:<ref name=":0" /> in addition to a shared storage device (usually a traditional tape library), there exists a central server arbitrating access to device (for all the other SAN servers). The central server however, does not handle data stream itself.{{Cn|date=January 2024}} * without backup server:<ref name=":0" /> the storage facility (usually a virtual tape library, or VTL) is smart enough to handle multiple data accesses without intermediate component.{{Cn|date=January 2024}}

==See also== * Data backup * Storage area network * Network-attached storage * Fiber Channel technology

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://archive.today/20130125183535/http://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21053348 Description of Lan-Free Client Data Transfer Operation] *[http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/tips0118.html IBM Tivoli Storage Manager: LAN/WAN Backup; ServerFree Backup; LANFree Backup; and Split-Mirror Backup - What Does It All Mean?]

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Category:Backup Category:Storage area networks