SDK - Libraries for dotNet and Global Assembly Cache (GAC) in Windows

Answer

The Global Assembly Cache (GAC) is a machine-wide CLI assembly cache for the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) in Microsoft's .NET Framework.

The approach of having a specially controlled "central repository" addresses the flaws in the shared library concept , and helps to avoid pitfalls of other solutions that led to drawbacks like "DLL hell".

Yes, the SDK libraries for dotNet can be added to GAC , provided that you have selected the right libraries and add them to the right location for use in your (c) Microsoft (R) Visual Studio environment.

The Global Assembly Cache for Microsoft Windows is a location (not a file system location) that is under control of CLI directly.

You can use Microsoft tools to add the libraries in the GAC, or "drag and drop" only, and can not "copy and paste".

Explorer is only showing the "view" and no search or browse via Windows can be done on the GAC.

The Cognos SDK dotNet libraries are 32 bit only at this time.

Libraries from the SDK come in three Framework versions :

cognosdotnet_2_0.dll and cognosdotnetassembly_2_0.dll for Framework 2.0

cognosdotnet_10_0 and cognosdotnetassembly_10_0.dll for Framework 3.5 from sdk/Net3.5 folder

cognosdotnet_10_0 and cognosdotnetassembly_10_0.dll for Framework 4.0.

Framework 2.0 and 3.5 libraries can only be added to the GAC location %windir%\assembly folder.

The Framework 4.0 libraries need to be added to the %windir%\Microsoft.Net\assembly folder in the GAC_32 directory only.

Note that you need to specify the correct locations in Microsoft Visual Studio to ensure you have the right libraries included.

As always, the cognosdotnet libraries are IBM Cognos Version dependent, and therefore you should have the right version of these for your development for applications against the same version of the IBM Cognos Server.

Check with Right-Click > Properties > Details on the library if you have the correct version.