In IDMS database terminology, what is meant by an autostatus setting when executing DML commands?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on CA IDMS, a network model database system widely used on mainframes. When writing COBOL programs that access IDMS, developers use DML statements and need to check status codes after each call. The autostatus setting exists to simplify this error checking. Understanding autostatus shows that you know how IDMS integrates with COBOL and how error detection is automated in large transactional systems.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• IDMS is being accessed from COBOL programs using embedded DML.
• Each DML command returns a status code that the program should check.
• The term autostatus refers to a protocol mode controlled at compile or precompile time.
• The question is about how error checking is performed, not about database restart or recovery procedures.

Concept / Approach:
In IDMS, when the autostatus protocol is enabled, the precompiler expands each DML statement to include a perform of a standard IDMS status routine. This means status codes are automatically moved into a predefined field and checked, reducing manual coding. The correct option must mention automatic status checking that happens with each DML call. Any option that speaks about restart, performance tuning, or ignoring errors does not match the documented autostatus behavior.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that DML statements like OBTAIN, STORE, MODIFY, and ERASE return a status code that must be examined. Step 2: Remember that autostatus is a protocol where the precompiler generates additional code after each DML statement. Step 3: Identify the option that clearly states that IDMS status checks are performed automatically without explicit coding. Step 4: Compare that with options that incorrectly talk about database restart or ignoring errors. Step 5: Select the description that matches standard IDMS documentation about the autostatus protocol.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can cross check your memory of IDMS manuals where autostatus is described as a way to generate PERFORM IDMS-STATUS automatically after DML commands. This clearly aligns with automated error detection rather than changes to system restart behavior. No serious database product would introduce a mode that simply discards all error codes for performance reasons, so options suggesting that are not credible.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option b: Autostatus does not automatically restart the database; that would be a system or operations function, not a DML protocol feature.
Option c: Turning status checks into comments would remove error handling and contradict the whole purpose of autostatus, which is to improve error detection, not to remove it.
Option d: Ignoring error status codes would be dangerous and is not how IDMS autostatus works. Autostatus actually ensures that status codes are always checked consistently.

Common Pitfalls:
A common misunderstanding is to think that autostatus is related to system availability or restart rather than to code generation. Another pitfall is assuming that autostatus is optional and therefore not very important. In reality, it has a major impact on how much error handling code developers must write and how consistently they check status values. For exam and interview purposes, always associate autostatus with automatic status checking after DML calls.

Final Answer:
A protocol mode in which each DML statement automatically performs an IDMS status check without the programmer coding it explicitly.