Which of the following is a key function of the HSRP protocol?

The Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) is primarily designed to provide redundancy and failover for routers in a network. Its key function is to ensure that if the primary router fails, a backup router can immediately take over the routing responsibilities without interrupting network service. By using HSRP, routers can work together to present a single virtual IP address to a host, allowing for seamless traffic redirection when the active router goes down. This capability is crucial in maintaining high availability and ensuring minimal disruption in network communication.

In this context, assigning IP addresses does not align with the primary intent of HSRP, as it is focused on redundancy rather than IP management. Similarly, creating dynamic routes is more associated with routing protocols like RIP, OSPF, or EIGRP rather than HSRP, which does not handle the routing process itself. Finally, while managing VLAN traffic is essential in a network, this function typically falls within the scope of protocols specifically designed for VLAN configurations, such as VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol) or 802.1Q for VLAN tagging, rather than HSRP.