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ZFS - zvols

In addition to datasets, ZFS also supports zvols.

A zvol is roughly analogous to a dataset, except it does not actually have a filesystem in it.
It is just a block device.

Example Usage of a zvol

You could, for example, create a zvol named mypool/myzvol, then format it with the ext4 filesystem, then mount that filesystem—you now have an ext4 filesystem, but backed with all of the safety features of ZFS!

This might sound silly on a single computer—but it makes a lot more sense as the back end for an iSCSI export.