What does the Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) primarily aim to achieve in a network?

The Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) is designed to allow multiple physical switches to be combined and managed as a single logical switch. This capability simplifies management tasks, enhances scalability, and improves redundancy in the network. By treating several physical switches as one, VSF can streamline configuration and operational tasks, reduce the complexity of management interfaces, and improve overall performance and reliability.

Managing a group of switches as a single logical unit means that network administrators can apply consistent configurations, policies, and updates across the entire virtual switch setup, rather than having to manage each switch individually. This centralization is particularly beneficial in larger networks where multiple switches are deployed, resulting in significant time savings and reduced chances of configuration errors.

The other options do not accurately capture the primary goal of VSF. Increasing the number of available IP addresses relates more directly to network addressing schemes rather than switch management. While enhanced security policies and direct communication with end-user devices are important aspects of overall network design, they do not specifically address the core functionality of virtualizing switch operations as VSF does.