A dataset history line branches from a snapshot to a clone, while a separate lock marks a user hold on another snapshot.

ZFS snapshots give the filesystem a rewind button

A ZFS snapshot preserves a point-in-time dataset view through copy-on-write references instead of a full duplicate of its data. Existing blocks remain available while references need them. Creation still has metadata and synchronization work; neither zero allocation nor completion before a shell redraw is a measured guarantee. This review did not run ZFS or recover the earlier claimed fixture’s raw output. ...

March 21, 2028 · 5 min · XB Field Notes