Deploying Database Applications for the .NET Framework

When deploying database applications using RAD Studio, copy the necessary runtime assemblies and driver DLLs for deployment to a specified location. The following sections list the name of the assemblies and DLLs and the location of where each should reside.

Note: We strongly encourage you to use ADO.NET and the AdoDbx Client Provider for .NET database applications. The Borland Data Provider is being deprecated.

ADO.NET 2.0 Application Deployment

Deploying by Updating machine.config

The microsoft .net machine.config file must have an entry added for the provider. Locate machine.config below your Windows\Microsoft.net directory tree and add the following entry in the <DbProviderFactories> section:

Copy Code

<c>
<add name="AdoDbx Data Provider" invariant="Borland.Data.AdoDbxClient"
description=".Net Framework Data Provider for dbExpress Drivers"
type="Borland.Data.TAdoDbxProviderFactory, Borland.Data.AdoDbxClient, Version=11.0.5000.0,Culture=neutral,PublicKeyToken=91d62ebb5b0d1b1b"/>
</c>

Deploying Without Updating machine.config

An application can also deploy without updating the machine config by directly using the TAdoDbxProviderFactory class in the Borland.Data.AdoDbxClientProvider unit. Although this makes deployment easier, the TAdoDbxProviderFactory can only create ADO.NET 2.0 objects for the AdoDbxClient provider.

If your application links with assemblies, the Borland.Data.AdoDbxClient.dll, and Borland.Data.DbxCommonDriver.dll assembly must be either copied to the same directory as your executable or registered in the GAC.

If dbxconnections.ini and dbxdrivers.ini are used, they will have to also be deployed as well. If native dynalink drivers are being used, those drivers and their corresponding client libraries will need to be deployed.

See Borland.Data.AdoDbxClientProvider.pas source file for information.

BDP.NET Application Deployment

Copy specific database runtime assemblies to the following location:

Managed Assemblies	Data Provider	Location
Borland.Data.Common.dll	All	GAC
Borland.Data.Provider.dll	All	GAC
Borland.Data.DB2.dll	DB2	GAC
Borland.Data.Interbase.dll	Interbase	GAC
Borland.Data.Mssql.dll	MS SQL/MSDE	GAC
Borland.Data.Oracle.dll	Oracle	GAC
Borland.Data.Msacc.dll	MS Access	GAC
Borland.Data.Sybase.dll	Sybase	GAC

Note: If you are deploying a distributed database application that uses the BDP.NET Remoting components, such as DataHub, DataSync, RemoteConnection, and RemoteServer, you must install Borland.Data.DataSync.dll

to the GAC. Copy unmanaged database driver DLLs to the following location:

DLLs	Data Provider	Location
bdpint20.dll	Interbase	search path
bdpdb220.dll	DB2	search path
bdpmss20.dll	MS SQL/MSDE	search path
bdpora20.dll	Oracle	search path
bdpmsa20.dll	MS Access	search path
bdpsyb20.dll	Sybase	search path

dbExpress for .NET Application Deployment

Copy specific database runtime assemblies to the following location:

Managed Assemblies	Data Provider	Location
Borland.VclDbExpress.dll	All	GAC
Borland.VclDbCtrls.dll	All	GAC
Borland.VclDbxCds.dll	Required by database applications that use client datasets	GAC
Borland.Common.Driver.dll	All	GAC

You can deploy associated dbExpress.NET drivers and DataSnap DLLs with your executable. Copy unmanaged database driver DLLs to the following location:

DLLs	Data Provider	Location
dbxINT30.dll	InterBase 2007, 7.5.1, 7.1, 7.0, 6.5*	search path
dbxASA30.dll	Adaptive Sybase Anywhere 9, 8*	search path
dbxDB230.dll	DB2 UDB 8.x, 7.x*	search path
dbxINF30.dll	Informix 9.x	search path
dbxMSS30.dll	MSSQL 2005, 2000	search path
dbxMYSA30.dll	MySQL 4.0.24	search path
dbxMYS30.dll	MySQL 5.0.27, 4.1.22*	search path
dbxora30.dll	Oracle 10g, 9.2.0, 9.1.0	search path
dbxASE30.dll	Sybase 12.5	search path
Midas.dll	Required by database applications that use client datasets	search path

Note: * Driver not fully certified with this version of the database.

dbGo for .NET Application Deployment

There is no need to deploy runtime assemblies or database drivers for dbGo components used in VCL.NET applications. Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) version 2.1 or later is required to run applications with dbGo components outside of the IDE. This applies to Win32 VCL applications, as well as VCL.NET applications. RAD Studio supports MDAC 2.8.

BDE for .NET Application Deployment

When deploying BDE-based applications, you must include the BDE with your application. While this increases the size of the application and the complexity of deployment, the BDE can be shared with other BDE-based applications and provides a broader range of support for database manipulation. Although you can use the API of the BDE directly in your application, the components on the BDE section of the Tool Palette wrap most of this functionality for you.