What is the difference between server-free and LAN-free backup?
LAN-free backup is simply connecting the server that needs to be backed up to a SAN, so the data is transferred over Fibre Channel to a tape drive, VTL or disk. In server-free backup, the data does not flow through the server being backed up. The server being backed up is still involved, because it has to do things like quiesce the database or quiesce a file system. But, once the frozen image has been created, the data movement no longer involves the original server. Who offers server-free backup products? I think you’ll find that any backup product that’s aiming at the enterprise, will offer server-free backup. If a vendor doesn’t offer server-free backup they either aren’t aiming at the enterprise or they aren’t doing it very well. So, if you are the type of company that wants server-free backup, then you should look at an enterprise backup product. Are there any standards for server-free or LAN-free backup? Not so much. Each of the ISVs, the independent software vendors, have their
