Feature Flags
ZFS on-disk formats were originally versioned with a single number, which increased whenever the format changed. The numbered approach was suitable when development of ZFS was driven by a single organisation.
For distributed development of OpenZFS, version numbering was unsuitable. Any change to the number would have required agreement, across all implementations, of each change to the on-disk format.
OpenZFS feature flags – an alternative to traditional version numbering – allow a uniquely named pool property for each change to the on-disk format. This approach supports:
format changes that are independent
format changes that depend on each other.
Compatibility
Where all features that are used by a pool are supported by multiple implementations of OpenZFS, the on-disk format is portable across those implementations.
Features that are exclusive when enabled should be periodically ported to all distributions.
Reference materials
ZFS Feature Flags (Christopher Siden, 2012-01, in the Internet Archive Wayback Machine) in particular: “… Legacy version numbers still exist for pool versions 1-28 …”.
zpool-features(7) man page - OpenZFS
zpool-features (5) – illumos