Microsoft Enterprise Library Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Part 1: Enterprise Library Installation and Configuration

• Getting Started
  • How can I resolve the error message, "This version of the Enterprise Library cannot be installed side-by-side with version 4.0. Please uninstall Enterprise Library v4.0 and try again." when I tried to install Enterprise Library 4.1 on my computer, even after I uninstalled Enterprise Library 4.0?
  • Why am I getting the messages, "Could not load file or assembly" and "The located assembly's manifest definition does not match the assembly reference," when I load my configuration file?
  • Is there a workaround for the Enterprise Library Source Installation Error?

• Migration and Upgrading
  • Is it possible to upgrade a version 1.x Enterprise Library configuration file to any newer versions?
  • Is it possible to upgrade a post version 2.0 Enterprise Library configuration file to a newer version?

Part 2: The Enterprise Library Application Blocks

• Policy Injection Application Block
  • Does the Policy Injection Application Block support generic methods?
  • Can the Policy Injection Application Block intercept extension methods?
  • Why does the ValidationCallHandler not work when it is applied to a property?
  • How can the Policy Injection Application Block be used with the Performance Counter handler?
  • Why does an ICallHandler execute twice when used with an interface?

• Logging Application Block
  • How do I create a custom formatter?
  • How can I change the timestamp format of my log entries to my local time?
  • How can I make the Logging Application Block automatically detect configuration changes if I want to change the logging level during run time?
  • How can I avoid having two log files when I specify only one?
  • How can I log to a custom database/table?
  • Why are messages not logged?

• Caching Application Block
  • How do I enumerate items in a CacheManager?
  • How do I use caching without the configuration file?
  • How do I avoid getting a null value from the CacheManager when the item is being refreshed?

• Cryptography Application Block
  • Why does the message, "Padding is invalid and cannot be removed," appear when I use the Cryptography Application Block after deploying my application to a production host?

• Data Access Application Block
  • What is the difference between DatabaseFactory.CreateDatabase() and DatabaseFactory.CreateDatabase(connString)?
  • How can I get the out parameter value using the Data Access Application Block?
  • How do I extend the Database class?
  • Where does the LocalSqlServer connection string come from, and why does it keep coming back after I delete it?

• Exception Handling Application Block
  • How do I log FaultException?
  • How do I configure Exception Handling with Logging?
  • How do I make the Exception Handling Application Block ExceptionShielding attribute not shield FaultExceptions?

• Security Application Block
  • I am unable to open aspnetdb; how do I resolve Security Application Block QuickStart errors?
  • What happened to the authentication and role management features of the Security Application Block?

• Validation Application Block
  • Why do validators that are configured in the base class not work in its subclasses?
  • How do I implement a conditional validation?

• Unity Application Block
  • How do I resolve the error I receive when using other types than System.String for the propertyTypes attribute?
  • Does Unity work with Silverlight?
  • How can I throw an exception for unregistered types?
  • Can I use other external file to load Unity configuration?

Part 3. General Questions

• How do I encrypt or decrypt the configuration section?
• How can I deploy my application if I encrypted my configuration?
• Can environment-specific configuration be persisted?
• Are there future plans for Enterprise Library to support Compact Framework?
• Why am I getting a null reference exception when switching to design mode?
• Will Object Builder 1.0 work together with Object Builder 2.0? I am using Enterprise Library 3.1, which uses ObjectBuilder1.0, and would want to upgrade to Enterprise Library 4.0.
• Why are some assemblies, such as Logging.Database or ExceptionHandling.Logging, not copied when I build my application, even if my class library includes a reference to these assemblies with CopyLocal set to true?
• Why do I get an InvalidOperationException with the message “The requested Performance Counter is not a custom counter, it has to be initialized as ReadOnly.”?
• Cannot resolve the wiki link macro, length of title is too long.’ that implement or inherit from the base type ‘type name’." even if the types are there.|Why am I unable to pick my provider when I define a custom provider using the configuration editor?]
• Why do I see several messages stating that "Could not find schema information for the element [element name" in the Errors List when I open my Enterprise Library configuration file with the XML editor?|Why do I see several messages stating that "Could not find schema]
• My application is divided in layers/subsystems. How can I keep per assembly/layer/subsystem configuration files?

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