A network administrator is tasked with scanning a range of IP addresses to identify active hosts and services in the network. Which of the following tools should be used to perform this task?

The selection of Nmap as the appropriate tool for scanning a range of IP addresses to detect active hosts and services is grounded in its primary function as a network scanning tool. Nmap (Network Mapper) is designed specifically for network discovery and security auditing, making it an ideal choice for identifying active devices on a network.

Nmap can perform various types of scans, such as ping scans to identify live hosts and service/version detection scans to determine what services are running on those hosts. This capability allows network administrators to gain valuable insights into the structure and security posture of their networks.

In contrast, Volatility is a tool focused on memory analysis for forensics, not suitable for scanning IP addresses. Exiftool is primarily used for reading and writing metadata in files, which is unrelated to network host discovery. A statically linked library refers to a method of linking code in programming and doesn't function as a standalone scanning tool. Each of these alternatives serves a different purpose, highlighting Nmap's specificity and effectiveness for the task at hand.