What function do Active Virtual Forwarders serve in a network?

Active Virtual Forwarders play a crucial role in networking, especially in scenarios involving high availability protocols such as HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) or VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol). Their primary function is to forward network traffic on behalf of a virtual IP address, which is shared among multiple routers or devices in the network.

When a device sends packets to a virtual IP, these Active Virtual Forwarders ensure that the traffic is appropriately routed to its destination. By doing this, they facilitate redundancy and load balancing, allowing for seamless traffic management even if one of the routers in the group becomes unavailable.

This capability is essential for maintaining network reliability and performance since it provides a single point of access to resources while enabling multiple routers to share the load of traffic forwarding. Hence, the defining characteristic of Active Virtual Forwarders is their ability to forward traffic effectively within the network infrastructure.

In contrast, roles such as responding to ARP requests, managing router priority, and monitoring interface states do not specifically encompass the primary forwarding function that is critical for network traffic management in the context of virtual IP addresses.