Requirements to register and authenticate a .NET desktop app in M365

Saulo Silva 0 Reputation points
2025-01-13T17:49:26.8733333+00:00

Hi, all.

I have a .NET desktop application (C# + WPF) which is to be registered in Microsoft Store and made available via subscription.

Part of the process is clear, such as having authentication via MSAL (which I understand as having the user authenticated on Microsoft side, where I should keep a list of users allowed to run the app), as well as having a Microsoft Entra ID active account from my side. In short, a basic SaaS scenario.

But this is as far as I understood, with the excessive amount of information around making it actually confusing to get a decisive answer on what services exactly I should be hiring. With the above description in hands, some of my questions are:

  • As a developer, what do I need first? A "Developer" subscription in order to register the application in Microsoft Store?
  • On the authentication management side, what kind of Microsoft subscription is needed to add/remove accounts allowed to run the application?

These are my initial questions, having in mind that I already went through these:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/fundamentals/whatis

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/msal-authentication-flows

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/msal/dotnet/acquiring-tokens/desktop-mobile/integrated-windows-authentication

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/quickstart-register-app?tabs=certificate

Any help on that will be greatly appreciated.

Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365
Formerly Office 365, is a line of subscription services offered by Microsoft which adds to and includes the Microsoft Office product line.
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.NET
Microsoft Technologies based on the .NET software framework.
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Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID
A Microsoft Entra identity service that provides identity management and access control capabilities. Replaces Azure Active Directory.
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  1. Janaki Kota 615 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2025-01-15T10:52:07.6033333+00:00

    Hello @Saulo Silva,

    Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

    We understand that you have a .NET desktop application (C# + WPF) which you want to register in the Microsoft Store and made available via subscription and would like to authenticate using MSAL and Microsoft Entra ID. Now, you would like to know what services exactly are needed to achieve the above goal. 

    As a developer, what do I need first? A "Developer" subscription in order to register the application in Microsoft Store? 

    The first step would be creating a developer account so that the application can be registered in the Microsoft Store. A Windows app developer account in Partner Center is needed before you start the app submission process. There are 2 types of developer accounts available in Partner Center: Individual and Company. The individual account costs approximately $19 USD. (The fees vary depending on your country or region). As a process of registering the application, you will come across the Pricing and availability page of the app submission process lets you determine how much your app will cost, whether you'll offer a free trial, and how, when, and where it will be available to customers. 

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/publish/?tabs=individual%2Cmsix-pwa-getting-started

    On the authentication management side, what kind of Microsoft subscription is needed to add/remove accounts allowed to run the application? 

    The Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL) enables developers to acquire security tokens from the Microsoft identity platform to authenticate users and access for which there is no need to have a premium license. But, if you want to enhance the security of the users access and add extra layer of protection, it is necessary to have a premium P1 or P2 license for enabling features like conditional access. You can manage user or group access to application in your Entra tenant with assignment as well.  

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/enterprise-apps/assign-user-or-group-access-portal?pivots=portal

    Thanks & Best Regards,

    Janaki Kota

    If this answers your query, do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

     


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