---
title: "Define Global Assembly Cache in dot net?"  
description: "Define Global Assembly Cache in dot net?"  
author: "Varun Agrawal"  
published: 2011-03-18  
updated: 2020-09-18  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/interview/486/define-global-assembly-cache-in-dot-net  
category: "assembly"  
tags: ["assembly"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# Define Global Assembly Cache in dot net?

Global Assembly Cache is the place holder for shared assembly. If an assembly is installed to the Global Assembly Cache, the assembly can be accessed by multiple applications. In order to install an assembly to the GAC, the assembly must have to be signed with strong name.

## Answers

### Answer by hanmandlu vasani

An assembly stored in a common global place called Global assembly cache.\
The GAC is a central repository for storing shared assemblies at machine level. \
The GAC is a machine-wide code cache that stores assemblies specifically (specially) designated (chosen/selected) to be shared by several applications.\
The GAC allows multiple versions of the same assembly to be installed concurrently (at the same time) with different version number and also prevents different assembly vendors from overwriting each other's assemblies.

### Answer by Varun Agrawal

Global Assembly Cache is the place holder for shared assembly. If an assembly is installed to the Global Assembly Cache, the assembly can be accessed by multiple applications. In order to install an assembly to the GAC, the assembly must have to be signed with strong name.


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