When sharing a web layer from ArcGIS Pro, what happens to the data?

When sharing a web layer from ArcGIS Pro, the correct result is that a new web service is published and exposed. This process involves taking the data that you have in ArcGIS Pro and creating a web layer that can be accessed and utilized through the ArcGIS platform.

Publishing the web layer effectively establishes a connection between your data and the web, allowing users to interact with the layer through web applications or other GIS services. This shared layer can represent various types of data, such as feature layers, map layers, or imagery layers, and is made available for use by others in an organization or on the public internet, depending on the sharing settings.

In contrast, options that suggest archiving or sending the data to a local file system do not capture the essence of the sharing process in ArcGIS Pro, as they do not facilitate web interactions or accessibility. Additionally, while the ability for a web layer to be available offline is a feature of some web GIS environments, the act of sharing itself is primarily centered around the publication of a service rather than offline availability.