The installer may need to replace or register assemblies in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC).
The "Microsoft System CLR Types for Microsoft SQL Server 2012" package contains the binary implementations of these types. Primarily, this package is famous for enabling :
Check that Microsoft.SqlServer.Types.dll exists in: system clr types for sql server 2012 download
Developers use it to allow their .NET applications to handle SQL spatial types natively. Spiceworks Community 4. Technical Requirements Operating Systems:
Also verify it appears in the Global Assembly Cache: The installer may need to replace or register
However, the download remains available for maintenance of existing applications. If you are building a new system, consider upgrading to a newer SQL Server version (2019 or 2022) and use the corresponding CLR Types package.
to query tables with geography , geometry , or hierarchyid columns. Without the CLR types, you’ll get a InvalidOperationException saying "The type 'geography' is not supported" . Spiceworks Community 4
This happens because your development machine likely has the full SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or the database engine installed, which includes these CLR types automatically. The production server, running a clean version of Windows Server, does not have them. You need to install this redistributable package to provide the necessary DLLs ( Microsoft.SqlServer.Types.dll ).