What are the backup networking modes?

Backup networking modes describe how backup data moves between production hosts, backup servers, storage systems, and backup media. LAN-Based backup sends backup traffic through the production Ethernet network, which is simple but may consume service bandwidth. LAN-Free backup moves backup traffic through a dedicated storage network, usually SAN, reducing pressure on the production LAN. SAN-Based backup uses SAN connectivity to improve backup throughput and isolate backup traffic from ordinary service traffic. Server-Free backup further reduces host involvement by allowing storage systems or backup infrastructure to move data more directly, minimizing the performance impact on application servers. Huawei data protection designs commonly classify backup networking by these modes because each mode has different cost, performance, complexity, and service-impact characteristics. Therefore, all four listed modes are valid backup networking modes.