Embodiments of a system and method for making an archival copy of business data by performing a third party copy of backup data across a SAN are described. A SAN may include a SAN fabric, multiple host/servers and multiple storage devices including archival storage devices. The SAN fabric may include the switches, hubs, bridges, routers, etc. necessary to allow any host/server to access any storage device. The host/servers may allow applications access to primary data stored in the SAN. At least one of the host/servers may run a backup server that is responsible for making backup and archival copies of the primary data stored on the storage devices by the applications. The backup server may initiate a server-free copy of the backup data through the SAN fabric to the archival storage devices.