LAN-free backup

A LAN-free backup is a backup of server data to a shared, central Object [storage device|storage device] without sending the data over the local area network. It is usually achieved by using a storage area network.
Note that trivial backup to a dedicated, unshared storage device does not meet the definition.

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. It offers an alternative way of backup than a simple data copy to network-attached storage over LAN.
It comes in different flavours:

with backup server: in addition to a shared storage device, there exists a central server arbitrating access to device. The central server however, does not handle data stream itself.
without backup server: the storage facility is smart enough to handle multiple data accesses without intermediate component.