CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.SqlDatabaseProjects fails when using DistributedApplicationTestingBuilder

[mortenbock]

Describe the bug

I'm trying to use the SqlProject integration, and it is working when I launch the Aspire project normally.

But when I try to run the integration tests, it seems the integration is not able to locate some build targets:

fail: Redactedapp.AppHost.Resources.sql-redacteddb-migrator[0]
      1: 2026-03-24T13:54:16.4073684Z Failed to publish database project.
Microsoft.Build.Exceptions.InvalidProjectFileException: The imported project "C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\10.0.201\15.0\Microsoft.Common.props" was not found. Confirm that the path in the <Import> declaration is correct, and that the file exists on disk.  C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\10.0.201\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\Sdk\Sdk.props

The sql project is MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj/4.0.1 and the Aspire host is Aspire.AppHost.Sdk/13.1.2

The integration tests worked fine when I was using regular EF Core migrations.

Regression

No response

Steps to reproduce

See description

Expected behavior

See description

Screenshots

No response

IDE and version

Other

IDE version

VS 2026 and dotnet cli

Nuget packages

Additional context

Full stack trace:

fail: Redactedapp.AppHost.Resources.sql-redacteddb-migrator[0]
      1: 2026-03-24T13:54:16.4073684Z Failed to publish database project.
Microsoft.Build.Exceptions.InvalidProjectFileException: The imported project "C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\10.0.201\15.0\Microsoft.Common.props" was not found. Confirm that the path in the <Import> declaration is correct, and that the file exists on disk.  C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\10.0.201\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\Sdk\Sdk.props
         at Microsoft.Build.Shared.ProjectErrorUtilities.ThrowInvalidProject(String errorSubCategoryResourceName, IElementLocation elementLocation, String resourceName, Object[] args)
         at Microsoft.Build.Shared.ProjectErrorUtilities.VerifyThrowInvalidProject[T1](Boolean condition, String errorSubCategoryResourceName, IElementLocation elementLocation, String resourceName, T1 arg0)
         at Microsoft.Build.Shared.ProjectErrorUtilities.ThrowInvalidProject[T1](IElementLocation elementLocation, String resourceName, T1 arg0)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.ExpandAndLoadImportsFromUnescapedImportExpression(String directoryOfImportingFile, ProjectImportElement importElement, String unescapedExpression, Boolean throwOnFileNotExistsError, List`1& imports)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.ExpandAndLoadImportsFromUnescapedImportExpressionConditioned(String directoryOfImportingFile, ProjectImportElement importElement, List`1& projects, SdkResult& sdkResult, Boolean throwOnFileNotExistsError)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.ExpandAndLoadImports(String directoryOfImportingFile, ProjectImportElement importElement, SdkResult& sdkResult)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.EvaluateImportElement(String directoryOfImportingFile, ProjectImportElement importElement)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.PerformDepthFirstPass(ProjectRootElement currentProjectOrImport)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.EvaluateImportElement(String directoryOfImportingFile, ProjectImportElement importElement)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.PerformDepthFirstPass(ProjectRootElement currentProjectOrImport)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.EvaluateImportElement(String directoryOfImportingFile, ProjectImportElement importElement)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.PerformDepthFirstPass(ProjectRootElement currentProjectOrImport)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.Evaluate(ILoggingService loggingService, BuildEventContext buildEventContext)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Evaluator`4.Evaluate(IEvaluatorData`4 data, ProjectRootElement root, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings, Int32 maxNodeCount, PropertyDictionary`1 environmentProperties, ILoggingService loggingService, IItemFactory`2 itemFactory, IToolsetProvider toolsetProvider, ProjectRootElementCache projectRootElementCache, BuildEventContext buildEventContext, ISdkResolverService sdkResolverService, Int32 submissionId, EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project.Reevaluate(ILoggingService loggingServiceForEvaluation, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings, EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project.ReevaluateIfNecessary(ILoggingService loggingServiceForEvaluation, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings, EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project.ReevaluateIfNecessary(ILoggingService loggingServiceForEvaluation, EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project.ReevaluateIfNecessary(EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project.Initialize(IDictionary`2 globalProperties, String toolsVersion, String subToolsetVersion, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings, EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project..ctor(String projectFile, IDictionary`2 globalProperties, String toolsVersion, String subToolsetVersion, ProjectCollection projectCollection, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings, EvaluationContext evaluationContext)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project..ctor(String projectFile, IDictionary`2 globalProperties, String toolsVersion, String subToolsetVersion, ProjectCollection projectCollection, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project..ctor(String projectFile, IDictionary`2 globalProperties, String toolsVersion, ProjectCollection projectCollection, ProjectLoadSettings loadSettings)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.Project..ctor(String projectFile, IDictionary`2 globalProperties, String toolsVersion, ProjectCollection projectCollection)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.ProjectCollection.LoadProject(String fileName, IDictionary`2 globalProperties, String toolsVersion)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.ProjectCollection.LoadProject(String fileName, String toolsVersion)
         at Microsoft.Build.Evaluation.ProjectCollection.LoadProject(String fileName)
         at Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.SqlProjectResource.Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.IResourceWithDacpac.GetDacpacPath() in /_/src/CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.SqlDatabaseProjects/SqlProjectResource.cs:line 24
         at CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.SqlDatabaseProjects.SqlProjectPublishService.PublishSqlProject(IResourceWithDacpac resource, IResourceWithConnectionString target, String targetDatabaseName, CancellationToken cancellationToken) in /_/src/CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.SqlDatabaseProjects/SqlProjectPublishService.cs:line 19
fail: Redactedapp.AppHost.Resources.bd-api-redacted-application[0]
      13: 2026-03-24T13:54:16.4086960Z Dependency resource 'sql-redacteddb-migrator' failed to start.
info: Redactedapp.AppHost.Resources.bd-api-redacted-application[0]
      14: 2026-03-24T13:54:16.4086958Z Finished waiting for resource 'RedactedappDb'.
fail: Redactedapp.AppHost.Resources.bd-api-redacted-application[0]
      15: 2026-03-24T13:54:16.4108447Z Failed to create resource bd-api-redacted-application
Aspire.Hosting.DistributedApplicationException: Dependency resource 'sql-redacteddb-migrator' failed to start.
         at Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.ResourceNotificationService.<>c__DisplayClass22_0.<<WaitUntilStateAsync>g__Core|1>d.MoveNext() in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/ApplicationModel/ResourceNotificationService.cs:line 342
      --- End of stack trace from previous location ---
         at Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.ResourceNotificationService.WaitUntilStateAsync(IResource resource, IResource dependency, WaitBehavior waitBehavior, Func`5 postRunningAction, CancellationToken cancellationToken) in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/ApplicationModel/ResourceNotificationService.cs:line 326
         at Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.ResourceNotificationService.WaitUntilHealthyAsync(IResource resource, IResource dependency, WaitBehavior waitBehavior, CancellationToken cancellationToken) in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/ApplicationModel/ResourceNotificationService.cs:line 146
         at Aspire.Hosting.ApplicationModel.ResourceNotificationService.WaitForDependenciesAsync(IResource resource, CancellationToken cancellationToken) in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/ApplicationModel/ResourceNotificationService.cs:line 421
         at Aspire.Hosting.Orchestrator.ApplicationOrchestrator.WaitForInBeforeResourceStartedEvent(BeforeResourceStartedEvent event, CancellationToken cancellationToken) in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/Orchestrator/ApplicationOrchestrator.cs:line 113
         at Aspire.Hosting.Eventing.DistributedApplicationEventing.<>c__DisplayClass4_0`1.<<Subscribe>b__0>d.MoveNext() in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/Eventing/DistributedApplicationEventing.cs:line 82
      --- End of stack trace from previous location ---
         at Aspire.Hosting.Eventing.DistributedApplicationEventing.PublishAsync[T](T event, EventDispatchBehavior dispatchBehavior, CancellationToken cancellationToken) in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/Eventing/DistributedApplicationEventing.cs:line 69
         at Aspire.Hosting.Orchestrator.ApplicationOrchestrator.OnResourceStarting(OnResourceStartingContext context) in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/Orchestrator/ApplicationOrchestrator.cs:line 197
         at Aspire.Hosting.Dcp.DcpExecutorEvents.PublishAsync[T](T context) in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/Dcp/DcpExecutorEvents.cs:line 33
         at Aspire.Hosting.Dcp.DcpExecutor.CreateResourceExecutablesAsyncCore(IResource resource, IEnumerable`1 executables, Func`4 createResourceFunc, CancellationToken cancellationToken) in /_/src/Aspire.Hosting/Dcp/DcpExecutor.cs:line 1506

Help us help you

No, just wanted to report this

[mortenbock]

I added a repository reproducing the issue here:

https://github.com/mortenbock/aspire-sqlproj-repro/

[mortenbock]

Also made a branch using the Microsoft.Build.Sql project type, getting the same result:

https://github.com/mortenbock/aspire-sqlproj-repro/tree/ms-sdk-style

[mortenbock]

Referencing a dacpac directly makes the test pass.

var sqlproj = builder.AddSqlProject("sqlproj")
    .WithDacpac("../../SqlProject2/bin/Debug/SqlProject2.dacpac")
    .WithReference(database);

https://github.com/mortenbock/aspire-sqlproj-repro/tree/direct-dacpac

[aaronpowell]

My guess is that it's going to be a compatibility across versions. We don't have a stable release that targets Aspire 13.2 (you could try the latest beta package), and looking at the example in this repo, it's using MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj/3.2.0, so I'm not sure if 4.0.1 is a drop-in working replacement either.

[mortenbock]

My main project is running Aspire 13.1, and exhibits the same issue. I can try combining different versions of things, but since it works when starting the apphost directly, but not when in a test harness, I think it's not related to versions of packages?

[aaronpowell]

Yes, it probably is something to do with how the test harness launches, but we also have tests that run the SDK project, https://github.com/CommunityToolkit/Aspire/blob/main/tests/CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.SqlDatabaseProjects.Tests/AppHostTests.cs#L8

[mortenbock]

I just tried modifying the test setup from this repo, and replace the project reference to using the CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.SqlDatabaseProjects nuget package instead, and then it fails in the same way.

So the test in the repo does not reflect how the package acts when installed in a project.

[jmezach]

@mortenbock Are you running the tests on the same machine as where you're running the AppHost?

[mortenbock]

@mortenbock Are you running the tests on the same machine as where you're running the AppHost?

@jmezach Yes. Running both on my local (windows 11) machine.

Tests fail on both local machine and in GitHub action.

[jmezach]

I've been doing some investigation into this issue. At first I was able to reproduce the issue with the provided repro. Then I replaced the CommunityToolkit.Aspire.Hosting.SqlServerDatabaseProjects PackageReference with a ProjectReference to my local version of it and added it some logging of environment variables before we call into MSBuild to figure out the location of the .dacpac. After that I ran both the tests and the AppHost and now it fails in both scenarios with the exact same error.

Digging further I noticed that the version of Microsoft.Build.Locator is lagging behind a bit so I tried updating that, but now I'm getting build errors such as these:

/Users/jmezach/.nuget/packages/microsoft.build.locator/1.11.2/buildTransitive/Microsoft.Build.Locator.targets(19,5): error MSBL001: A PackageReference to the package 'Microsoft.Build' at version '15.9.20' is present in this project without ExcludeAssets="runtime" and PrivateAssets="all" set. This can cause errors at run-time due to MSBuild assembly-loading.

I have no clue where those are coming from. As far as I can tell we're not directly referencing Microsoft.Build at all.

[aaronpowell]

No, Microsoft.Build stuff comes via the dependencies

[mortenbock]

Since a direct reference to the .dacpac path works, this must be related to how the reference to the sqlproj is resolved, in order to find the path for the .dacpac?

Is there any chance that the method used to do this uses a build target that is only available in the AppHost project, but not transitively available in the test project?

[jmezach]

@mortenbock We use MSBuild libraries to read the MSBuild.Sdk.SqlProj or Microsoft.Build.Sql project file and get the output path from it. I don't think the AppHost project nor the test project are ever in scope for that evaluation.