A SAN-based cluster backup system and method are provided. The system and method are automated, do not use a LAN for backup data, and are made aware of application failover events. The system and method are composed of two main components: a backup service, and a primary coordinator. The backup service performs the backup of the applications that are hosted on a particular node. The backup service periodically checkpoints the state of the backup job and communicates the status to the primary coordinator. The primary coordinator controls all backup operations in the cluster. The user submits backup jobs for the applications through the primary coordinator. If a node fails during a backup operation, the primary coordinator can ensure that the failed backup job can be resumed from the last checkpoint on the failed-over node. In this way, repetitive backups can be avoided, thereby increasing efficiency.