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+# Certificate Handling on Windows for MSI v2 / PoP
+
+## Overview
+In the MSI v2 flow, the client must present a certificate over mTLS.  
+The certificate itself is the **credential** for this flow.  
+
+Currently, the certificate is stored only in memory.  
+To reduce repeated calls to IMDS and enable reuse across requests,  
+the certificate should be **rooted (persisted)** in the Windows certificate store.
+
+## 1. Certificate Store Location
+- Use the **Windows Certificate Store**.
+- Scope: **CurrentUser\My** store (per-user, not global).
+- This provides:
+  - Secure key isolation (KeyGuard).
+  - OS-enforced ACLs instead of manual file permissions.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Certificate Lifecycle
+
+1. **Check Cert Store**  
+   - Look in `CurrentUser\My` for an MSI certificate.  
+   - Identify by subject and issuer.
+   - If found and not expired → load it.  
+
+2. **No Valid Certificate**  
+   - Generate a key pair (RSA) in KeyGuard (for POP).
+   - Get an attestation token for the key. 
+   - Create CSR in memory.  
+   - Call **IMDS issuecredential** endpoint.  
+   - Receive certificate from IMDS.  
+
+3. **Persist the Certificate**  
+   - Store the new certificate (with private key) in `CurrentUser\My`.  
+   - Mark the key as **non-exportable**.  (uses KeyGuard keys - already non-exportable)
+
+4. **Use Certificate**  
+   - Load cert from store as needed.  
+   - Use it for mTLS handshake.  
+
+---
+
+## 3. Expiration and Renewal
+- Certificates are short-lived (7 days).  
+- Always check expiration before use.  
+- If expired or close to expiry:  
+  - Remove stale cert from store.  
+  - Acquire and persist a new cert from IMDS.  
+
+### Proactive Renewal: Start renewal at half the certificate lifetime (typically, 3.5 days) to avoid expiry during active sessions.
+
+**This is calculated based on the certificate’s NotAfter property (expiration date).**
+---
+
+## 4. Error Handling
+- If store entry is corrupt → remove it and fetch new cert.  
+- If IMDS call fails → bubble up error to caller.  
+
+---
+
+# Certificate Store Location in Linux 
+- Rely on .NET’s X509Store abstractions for per-user certificate storage. The framework handles platform-specific details.”
+
+---
+
+## 5. Security Considerations
+- Private keys must be generated in **CNG/KeyGuard** with `ExportPolicy = None`.  
+- Keys should **never** be exported or persisted outside the Windows certificate store.  
+- `CurrentUser\My` is scoped to the signed-in user.  
+
+---
+
+## ✅ Summary
+- Always **check Windows cert store first** (`CurrentUser\My`).  
+- If no valid cert, **request one from IMDS**.  
+- **Persist it** back into the store securely.  
+- **Refresh on expiration**.