Packaging Oracle Data Access Components into .Net projects

We don’t want to have every user install Oracle Data Access Components and drivers so we want to package it into our deployment.

first dowload Oracle Data Access Components. The most current one as of 2/11/2011 is

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/dotnet/utilsoft-086879.html

note that this is the 32 bit version. This is because if you get the 64 bit version but you are targeting 32 bit (x86 platform) you will get a warning at compile time.

after downloading and installing ODAC.

find the following files

oci.dll

ociw32.dll

Oracle.DataAccess.dll

orannzsbb11.dll

oraocci11.dll

oraociicus11.dll

OraOps11w.dll

If you are using Oracle.DataAccess.dll in your project you will want to add it to your project as a reference.

Next we need to create a new project for the deployment. Other Project Types > Setup and Deployment > Visual Studio Installer > Setup Project.

Right click on the setup project and Add > Project Output…

Add your projects output in here.

Now we add rest of the dependencies that oracle needs. Right click on the setup project and Add > File …

Add the rest of the dlls in the list:

oci.dll

ociw32.dll

orannzsbb11.dll

oraocci11.dll

oraociicus11.dll

OraOps11w.dll

Oracle.DataAccess.dll — don’t need this one because it should be in the references already.

Build the project and you are ready to deploy it.

if you get “The provider is not compatible with the version of Oracle client”

make sure you are getting all the dlls from a single install of ODAC

This should add roughly 38 megs to your project.

msvcr71.dll too?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/923283/what-is-the-minimal-setup-required-to-deploy-a-net-application-with-oracle-clie