Logical and Physical Stores (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)

1/6/2010

In Windows Embedded CE, default system stores, including MY, CA, and ROOT, are implemented as logical collection stores, each with a number of predefined physical stores as their member stores. The member physical stores of a system store are opened automatically when the system store is opened.

The Windows Embedded CE implementation differs from that of Windows 2000 in that system stores are not relocatable, nor can system stores be opened remotely. Also, Windows Embedded CE does not support adding new stores.

All member stores of a logical or collection store can be searched or enumerated with a single function call to either CertFindCertificateInStore or CertEnumCertificatesInStore.

The functions CertEnumSystemStoreLocation, CertEnumSystemStore, and CertEnumPhysicalStore list system store locations, available system stores, and all physical stores that are members of a system store.

By default, a system store is opened relative to a registry subkey following a predefined pattern. (See System Store Locations for details.) Setting CERT_SYSTEM_STORE_RELOCATE_FLAG in the dwFlags parameter passed to CertOpenStore places a system store in the registry under a user-specified registry subkey instead of the predefined one.

See Also

Concepts

Managing Certificates with Certificate Stores

Other Resources

Cryptography
Certificates
Certificates OS Design Development