The correct answer is Locate every system and storage location where data resides.

A comprehensive data mapping process builds an inventory and index of applications databases file shares cloud storage and other repositories so security and privacy teams can see where data is stored across the enterprise. This visibility focuses on the locations and scope of data holdings which enables targeted governance and remediation activities.

Data mapping often collects metadata that supports classification and later consolidation but its primary purpose is to reveal the locations of data rather than to perform transformation or continuous monitoring. Knowing where data lives is the foundation for lineage classification access controls and retention actions.

Differentiate data as structured or unstructured is incorrect because while mapping may record format metadata classifying data structure is a separate classification step and not the core outcome of a location map.

Detect when records are changed inside an application is incorrect because change detection requires event logging change data capture or runtime monitoring and is not provided by a static inventory of storage locations.

Consolidate similar data types into logical groups is incorrect because consolidation is an active remediation or integration task that moves or reorganizes data and mapping only identifies where similar data exists so that consolidation can be planned.

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