deploying applications that share dll's with asp.net & vb backend

[Guest]

I have a asp.net application that shares DLL's with some backend vb.net
programs. In my test environment everything works like a champ. When I need a
DLL I point in to the project, do the build and everything works great.

It seems though when I try to move all this to a prod server odd things
happened.

1. if both the online and backend share DLL "x" . "x" exists in the bin
directory where the online component lives and also in the bin dir that
contains the backend vb.net programs. Is this correct? If so when I make a
change to DLL x on my test machine and do I have to copy DLL x to all the
directories that contain DLL x? Is there a way around this ?

 

[Karl Seguin]

Bill,
all your assertions are correct.

The work around is to deploy your assembly into the GAC (global assembly
cache):
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/01/03/buildapps2/default.aspx
http://www.codeproject.com/dotnet/DemystifyGAC.asp?df=100&forumid=15829&exp=0&select=937171

Those articles should be more than helpful.

Cheers,
Karl

 

[Scott Allen]

HI Bill:

You could install the DLL once into the Global Assembly Cache, and
from the GAC the assembly can be shared across applications on the
entire computer (see
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...-us/cpguide/html/cpconGlobalAssemblyCache.asp).

I'd caution you that the GAC can often be more trouble than it is
worth. If you have a good/automated deployment strategy for your
applications you'll never notice that a dll has to go into two
different locations.

 

[Guest]

OMG...... Was it my imagination that I read somewhere that asp.net lets
'programmers concentrate on programming?' What could have been easier then
making a change to a vbscript based .asp and then a simple copy to the
production machine? IMHO changing asp to run precompiled code as opposed to
script being interpreted time after time would have good enough for a
start....oiy ! This sounds like DLL hell v.2 You mentioned deployment tools,
can you recommend any and will they take care of this particular problem.

 

[Guest]

So....I can install x.dll in the global cache and then never worry about it
again until it changes. Is it as simple as just reinstalling it? I noticed in
my reading a 'use count'. That sounds just like iis 5. A dll that needed to
be replaced you had to stop iis, reload the dll, and restart iis. Say it
ain't so.

 

[Martin Carolan]

They don't force you to use codebehind though, if you use inline code you
will have no dll's.. but if you want to use VS (2003, 2005 has support for
inline code) you will have to use code behind.