Entity Framework Provider type could not be loaded

Question

I am trying to run my tests on TeamCity which is currently installed on my machine.

System.InvalidOperationException:

The Entity Framework provider type 'System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' for the 'System.Data.SqlClient' ADO.NET provider could not be loaded. Make sure the provider assembly is available to the running application.

See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=260882 for more information..

I have no reference to System.Data.Entity in any of my projects as was suggested on codeplex for upgrading to EF6.

So, I am not sure why am I getting this exception. I do not get any such exception when I run the tests from VS.

I did try to set CopyLocal to false then again to true.. but that does not seem to work either.

Update

My app.config has the following . Does this cause some behavior that I don't understand ?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <configSections>
    <section name="entityFramework" type="System.Data.Entity.Internal.ConfigFile.EntityFrameworkSection, EntityFramework, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" requirePermission="false" />
    <!-- For more information on Entity Framework configuration, visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=237468 -->
  </configSections>
  <entityFramework>
    <defaultConnectionFactory type="System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.SqlConnectionFactory, EntityFramework" />
  </entityFramework>
</configuration>

I get the following stacktrace in teamcity .

[MSTest] IntegrationTests.CrudTest+QuestionTest.Create
[03:59:11][IntegrationTests.CrudTest+QuestionTest.Create] Initialization method IntegrationTests.CrudTest+QuestionTest.Initialize threw exception. System.InvalidOperationException: System.InvalidOperationException: The Entity Framework provider type 'System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices, EntityFramework.SqlServer, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089' for the 'System.Data.SqlClient' ADO.NET provider could not be loaded. Make sure the provider assembly is available to the running application. See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=260882 for more information..
[03:59:11]
[IntegrationTests.CrudTest+QuestionTest.Create]     at System.Data.Entity.Config.ProviderServicesFactory.GetInstance(String providerTypeName, String providerInvariantName)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.ProviderServicesFactory.GetInstanceByConvention(String providerInvariantName)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.DefaultProviderServicesResolver.GetService(Type type, Object key)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.CachingDependencyResolver.<>c__DisplayClass1.<GetService>b__0(Tuple`2 k)
   at System.Collections.Concurrent.ConcurrentDictionary`2.GetOrAdd(TKey key, Func`2 valueFactory)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.CachingDependencyResolver.GetService(Type type, Object key)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.ResolverChain.<>c__DisplayClass3.<GetService>b__0(IDbDependencyResolver r)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectArrayIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.FirstOrDefault[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source, Func`2 predicate)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.ResolverChain.GetService(Type type, Object key)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.RootDependencyResolver.GetService(Type type, Object key)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.ResolverChain.<>c__DisplayClass3.<GetService>b__0(IDbDependencyResolver r)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectArrayIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.FirstOrDefault[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source, Func`2 predicate)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.ResolverChain.GetService(Type type, Object key)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.CompositeResolver`2.GetService(Type type, Object key)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.IDbDependencyResolverExtensions.GetService[T](IDbDependencyResolver resolver, Object key)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.InternalConfiguration.GetService[TService](Object key)
   at System.Data.Entity.Config.DbConfiguration.GetService[TService](Object key)
   at System.Data.Entity.Utilities.DbProviderFactoryExtensions.GetProviderServices(DbProviderFactory factory)
   at System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.DefaultManifestTokenService.GetProviderManifestToken(DbConnection connection)
   at System.Data.Entity.Utilities.DbConnectionExtensions.GetProviderInfo(DbConnection connection, DbProviderManifest& providerManifest)
   at System.Data.Entity.DbModelBuilder.Build(DbConnection providerConnection)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.CreateModel(LazyInternalContext internalContext)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.RetryLazy`2.GetValue(TInput input)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.LazyInternalContext.InitializeContext()
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.InternalContext.GetEntitySetAndBaseTypeForType(Type entityType)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.Initialize()
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.get_InternalContext()
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.ActOnSet(Action action, EntityState newState, Object entity, String methodName)
   at System.Data.Entity.Internal.Linq.InternalSet`1.Add(Object entity)
   at System.Data.Entity.DbSet`1.Add(TEntity entity)
   at EFRepository.Infrastructure.EFRepository`1.Add(T item) in c:\TeamCity\buildAgent\work\da2ea4e72c0e77f0\Repository\Infrastructure\EFRepository.cs:line 22
   at IntegrationTests.CrudTest.Initialize() in c:\TeamCity\buildAgent\work\da2ea4e72c0e77f0\IntegrationTests\CrudTest.cs:line 34

Answer 1

In my case I resolved the problem by installing SQL Server 2012 Developer Edition when I had previously installed SQL Server Express 2012 (x64). It seems that provided me with the missing dependency.

Answer 2

I checked Debug Output window in Unit Test project. EntityFramework.SqlServer.dll was not loaded. After adding it to the bin folder tests were run successfully.

Answer 3

There is a easy fix. open the references in your project, right click "System.Data" -> properties. Change "Copy Local" to "True".

Problem should be fixed.

Answer 4

I sorted it out with [DeploymentItem] on my assembly initializing class

namespace MyTests
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Summary description for AssemblyTestInit
    /// </summary>
    [TestClass]
    [DeploymentItem("EntityFramework.SqlServer.dll")]
    public class AssemblyTestInit
    {
        public AssemblyTestInit()
        {
        }

        private TestContext testContextInstance;

        public TestContext TestContext
        {
            get
            {
                return testContextInstance;
            }
            set
            {
                testContextInstance = value;
            }
        }

        [AssemblyInitialize()]
        public static void DbContextInitialize(TestContext testContext)
        {
            Database.SetInitializer<TestContext>(new TestContextInitializer());
        }
    }
}

Answer 5

I solved this by adding an using stament on top of my DBContext class, like so:

using SqlProviderServices= System.Data.Entity.SqlServer.SqlProviderServices;

Answer 6

In my case dll was not copied although I added a reference to it. This is because EntityFramework.SqlServer.dllis not copied into your project. Add that dll and it will hopefully work.You can find that from the project where you added datamodel.