When deploying to our production server, we get the following runtime error:

System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'Oracle.DataAccess.Client.OracleConnection' threw an exception. ---> Oracle.DataAccess.Client.OracleException: The provider is not compatible with the version of Oracle client at Oracle.DataAccess.Client.OracleInit.Initialize() at Oracle.DataAccess.Client.OracleConnection..cctor() --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at Oracle.DataAccess.Client.OracleConnection..ctor(String connectionString)

I have read the posts about this issue on the forums, and I'm quite sure simply installing ODP on the server would solve the problem. Question: If an older version of ODP.Net has already been installed, will it remain and existing applications will continue to use it, while LLBLGen will use the new version?

Furthermore, due to the concerns with stability of other production apps on the server, I'm wondering if there is the alternative of simply deploying all the required DLL's (including all core Oracle DLL's) in the bin folder my LLBLGen based application? I created a setup project in Visual Studio, and dependencies were detected for the LLB files and Oracle.DataAcess.DLL, but the Oracle.DataAcess.DLL dependencies are not detected. If a person was creating a shrinkwrapped application, they wouldn't necessarily know if ODP.Net was installed on the destination machine...and I thought Visual Studio would detect all of these dependencies for you, but is this not the case? Or is it because these dependencies are all in the GAC that it ignores them??

I have read the posts about this issue on the forums, and I'm quite sure simply installing ODP on the server would solve the problem. Question: If an older version of ODP.Net has already been installed, will it remain and existing applications will continue to use it, while LLBLGen will use the new version?

I think is more an ODP question that a LLBL one.. I found this: http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/windows/odpnet/faq.html#MOH From the LLBLGen point of view, you should refer at config the correct mappings.

Furthermore, due to the concerns with stability of other production apps on the server, I'm wondering if there is the alternative of simply deploying all the required DLL's (including all core Oracle DLL's) in the bin folder my LLBLGen based application?

http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/windows/odpnet/faq.html#install

I created a setup project in Visual Studio, and dependencies were detected for the LLB files and Oracle.DataAcess.DLL, but the Oracle.DataAcess.DLL dependencies are not detected. If a person was creating a shrinkwrapped application, they wouldn't necessarily know if ODP.Net was installed on the destination machine...and I thought Visual Studio would detect all of these dependencies for you, but is this not the case? Or is it because these dependencies are all in the GAC that it ignores them??

I used "Visual Studio Installer Project" before just a couple of times. It indeed should detect the dependencies. Have you added the ODP.Net application as a prerequisite to the Installer project?