What is a primary function of mapping tables?

Mapping tables primarily serve to represent relationships between data entities. These tables create a structured way to link different data elements, facilitating an understanding of how various items relate to one another within a data model. By doing so, they help streamline processes like data integration and reporting, ensuring that accurate relationships are maintained across different datasets.

For example, in a financial planning application, mapping tables might be used to correlate department IDs with their corresponding budget codes, enabling seamless retrieval and aggregation of financial data.

While the other options reference functions related to data management, such as storing historical data, assigning permissions, or managing data imports and exports, they do not align with the core purpose of mapping tables, which is fundamentally about establishing and representing relationships between distinct pieces of data.