Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser, Version=13.100.0.0

Question

I am attempting to run a build in TFS 2018. We also have SQL Server 2016 installed on the TFS build server (which is Windows Server 2016). Visual Studio is 2017. The first solution file produces the following error, and I have no idea from where this file is referenced:

2019-01-22T20:35:26.8607312Z Package:
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8608029Z Invoking Web Deploy to generate the package with the following settings:
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8608667Z $(LocalIisVersion) is 10
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8609527Z $(DestinationIisVersion) is 10
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8610846Z $(UseIis) is True
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8612479Z $(IisUrl) is http://localhost:62327/
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8614266Z $(IncludeIisSettings) is False
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8615630Z $(_DeploymentUseIis) is False
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8617245Z $(DestinationUseIis) is False
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8666548Z GenerateMsdeployManifestFiles:
2019-01-22T20:35:26.8684620Z Generate source manifest file for Web Deploy package/publish ...
2019-01-22T20:35:27.0589951Z Visual Studio is 2017. ##[error]C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v15.0\Web\Deploy\Microsoft.Web.Publishing.MSDeploy.Common.targets(119,5): Error MSB4018: The "SqlScriptPreprocessSqlVariables" task failed unexpectedly.
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser, Version=13.100.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified.
File name: 'Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser, Version=13.100.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91'
at Microsoft.Web.Publishing.Tasks.SqlScriptPreprocessor.SqlScriptPreprocessSqlVariables.Execute()
at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskExecutionHost.Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.ITaskExecutionHost.Execute()
at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.d__26.MoveNext()

WRN: Assembly binding logging is turned OFF.
To enable assembly bind failure logging, set the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog] (DWORD) to 1.
Note: There is some performance penalty associated with assembly bind failure logging.
To turn this feature off, remove the registry value [HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Fusion!EnableLog].

Answer 1

Found a workaround here, for the desktop build. Did not try the TFS team build.

Use gacutil to register Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser v2015.130.1601.5 installed with Visual Studio 2017, apparently satisfying build task SqlScriptPreprocessSqlVariables even if it requested v13.100.0.0.

In:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\Common7\IDE\Extensions\Microsoft\SQLCommon\130

or similar issue:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v10.0A\bin\NETFX 4.6.2 Tools\gacutil.exe" /i Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser.dll

or similar.

2023-02-14 The issue occurred again, now using Visual Studio 2022. The following workaround fixed the issue.

VS2022 now runs in 64 bit. Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser.dll built for 64 bit should be used. Also adding assemblies to the GAC is now discouraged. Instead copy the assembly from the installation location of VS2022, for example:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Professional\Common7\IDE\Extensions\Microsoft\SQLCommon\150

to the correct MSBuild folder. Several MSBuild folders may be around, use the 64 bit folder actually used by VS2022, for example:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Professional\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64

Build task SqlScriptPreprocessor.SqlScriptPreprocessSqlVariables resides in assembly Microsoft.Web.Publishing.Tasks.dll. That assembly asks for version 13.100.0.0 of Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser.dll. Version 13.100.0.0 cannot be used; it results in "Invalid assembly platform or ContentType in file". Instead add an assembly redirect for MSBuild. In for example:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Professional\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\MSBuild.exe.config

add

    <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser" culture="neutral" publicKeyToken="89845dcd8080cc91" />
        <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-999.999.999.999" newVersion="15.100.0.0" />
    </dependentAssembly>

15.100.0.0 being the assembly version of Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser.dll; ignore any file version such as 2018.150.1000.16.

Answer 2

Found the same workaround that Michiel referred to.

My situation:

• Visual Studio 2017 Build Tools (no IDE)
• Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser Version=13.100.0.0 not registered in the Global Assembly Cache. Neither was 13.0.0.0.
• VS Build Tools does not include Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser.dll. The path referenced is for VS Enterprise and does not exist for Build Tools: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\Common7\IDE\Extensions\Microsoft\SQLCommon\130. There is no similar path under C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\BuildTools
• I checked install of Build Tools. Said that SQL Server Data Tools was installed - under Data Storage and Processing workload

My solution:

• Per recommendation here, I downloaded and installed SQL Server Data Tools followed by a reboot.
• That got Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser Version=13.0.0.0 registered in the Global Assembly Cache
• Then, per workaround in question (developercommunity above), I added a binding redirect for MSBuild (in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\BuildTools\MSBuild\15.0\BinMSBuild.exe.config - see below)
• Fixed.

<!-- Workaround for errorMSB4018: The "SqlScriptPreprocessSqlVariables" task failed unexpectedly.
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser, Version=13.100.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89845dcd8080cc91' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified. -->
<dependentAssembly>
    <assemblyIdentity name="Microsoft.SqlServer.BatchParser" culture="neutral" publicKeyToken="89845dcd8080cc91" />
    <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-99.9.9.9" newVersion="13.0.0.0"/>
</dependentAssembly>