Connect to AS400 from .Net

Question

I need to connect to an IBM AS400 database from .NET. There is already a question on this over here:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3336646/connect-to-as400-using-net

However, that question is old and only fleetingly mentions the IBM i Access Client Solutions. I do have IBM i Access Client Solutions installed. I cannot find the download for IBM i Access for Windows on their site. I am using the nuget packages for IBM.Data.DB2 and IBM.Data.DB2.iSeries and the code works just fine on my other box where IBM i Access for Windows is installed.

When I try and create a connection on this box:

var connection = new iDB2Connection(connectionString);

I run into an error:

Unable to load DLL 'cwbdc.dll': The specified module could not be found. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007E)

My question, then, is: What do I need to do to connect when I have IBM i Access Client Solutions installed, but not the (now deprecated according to IBM) IBM i Access for Windows?

Postscript : I installed a bunch of IBM crap hoping to find something that worked. For .NET development using IBM.Data.DB2.iSeries, it does not appear necessary to install the IBM i Access Client Solutions Base Package, the IBM data server driver package, or the IBM Database Add-Ins for Visual Studio. I ended up tracking down the deprecated IBM i Access for Windows. That got me up and running. I hope to still track down someone with credentials to download the newer IBM i Access Client Solutions - Windows Application Package so I can give it a try. ALSO, attempting to gather IBM AS/400 drivers for .NET is a much bigger pain in the ass than I expect it to be in 2018...

Answer 1

ACS comes in two parts...

universal Java based components, such as the 5250 emulator and database tooling and JDBC drivers.

Platform specific components, for Windows this include ODBC, ADO and .NET drivers.

Sounds like you're missing the Windows components formally known as the IBM i Access Client Solutions - Windows Application Package

Unfortunately, the Windows Application Package must be downloaded from IBM's Entitled Systems Support (ESS) website.

This is the same place your IBM i admins would download OS upgrades or optional components of the OS. So they should be able to get you the package you need.