Assembly.Load can't load my custom assembly from the GAC.

Hi there.

I have an assembly, call it A1, that I've deployed to a SQL Server 2005 database. I can use the managed stored procedures from A1 in SQL Server no problem.

In A1 there is a bit of code which uses the Assembly.Load() method, so load another assembly and use instances of class found in that external assembly. However, when I run the managed stored proc in A1 that uses Assembly.Load() I get the error:

Could not load file or assembly 'A1, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,PublicKeyToken='?' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.

(note: for security I've changed some of the above line).

So I changed the Assembly.Load() to use

System.Data,Version=2.0.0.0,Culture=neutral,PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089

I re-built the project, re-deployed it and ran the code in SQL Server - it worked. I could create an instance of a System.Data.DataSet for example. So why can't I load my own custom assembly? My assembly does have a strong name and it's installed in the GAC. I wrote a console app to try and Assembly.Load() my custom assembly and that worked fine (it was also running on the same server as the SQL Server).

So it's defiantely the SQL Server that can't 'see' my customer assembly. What do I need to do this assembly so that SQL Server will allow me to Assembly.Load it, just as it can with System.Data?

Thanks
Jas.

Hi Jas,

In order you load your assembly using Assembly.Load, the assembly already has to be loaded into your database using CREATE ASSEMBLY. SqlClr will only load assemblies directly from the gac that are on the list of supported framework assemblies available here: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms403279.aspx. All the assemblies on that list (including System.Data) can be accessed by any assembly in your database, but all other assemblies must be loaded using CREATE ASSEMBLY first.

Steven