When you decide to write a new Web Application to host on Windows Azure or decided to migrated to Windows Azure, the following resources will help you immensely:

1. Prepare yourself with necessary hands on labs and training:

• Please download Windows Azure Training Kit form the link below, and finish the following hands on labs and Demos first at least:
• http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=8396
• Demos:
• Building and Deploying a Service
• Hello Windows Azure
• Windows Azure using Blobs Demo
• Preparing your SQL Azure Account
• Connecting to SQL Azure
• Hands on Labs:
• Introduction to Windows Azure
• Building ASP.NET Applications with Windows Azure
• Exploring Windows Azure Storage
• Deploying Applications in Windows Azure

2. Using HTTPs Endpoint and SSL certificate

• You can use a SSL 2048bit certificate from any certificate authority and use with Windows Azure Role. More details are located below:
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/avkashchauhan/archive/2011/03/28/complete-solution-adding-ssl-certificate-with-windows-azure-application.aspx

3. Using startup Task for specific action in your Windows Azure Application :

• Learn More about Start Up Task in Windows Azure
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/avkashchauhan/archive/2011/03/17/using-startup-task-in-windows-azure-detailed-summary.aspx

4. Using Startup Task to configure IIS Application pool:

• You can use Startup task to configure IIS Application pool.  
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/avkashchauhan/archive/2011/05/28/how-to-perform-custom-iis-configuration-such-as-adding-dynamic-compression-for-additional-mime-types-in-web-role-using-startup-task.aspx

5. Monitoring your Windows Azure application:

• So far application specific analytics/statistics is not available in the platform itself, you would need to add your own code in web app to get it. However for application diagnostics and monitoring, you can use Azure Diagnostics as described below:
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsazure/gg433048.aspx
• You can also use a 3^rd party tool as Cerebrata Diagnostics Monitor for Windows Azure, to monitor your application:
• http://www.cerebrata.com/Products/AzureDiagnosticsManager/Default.aspx
• Link below will help with Azure Diagnostics issues:
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/avkashchauhan/archive/2011/09/12/general-steps-to-investigate-problems-with-windows-azure-diagnostics.aspx

6. Domain Name Setup:

• It is very important to setup your Domain Name (www.yourcompanydomain.com) with Windows Azure Application. To do please setup the CNAME entry in your DNS Registrar as directed in the link below:
• http://blog.smarx.com/posts/custom-domain-names-in-windows-azure

7. Sending Email and configure SMTP services from your application:

• You can only send SMTP emails from Azure Application by using a SMTP module in your application, but you cannot accept SMTP emails in Azure. The following blogs outline the custom email solution on Azure such as SendGrid, as well as paid/enterprise level business email solution on Azure:
• http://blog.smarx.com/posts/emailtheinternet-com-sending-and-receiving-email-in-windows-azure
• Or you can use email forwarding service We describe how to use forwarding services at:
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsazure/archive/2010/10/08/adoption-program-insights-sending-emails-from-windows-azure-part-1-of-2.aspx
• http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsazure/archive/2010/10/15/adoption-program-insights-sending-emails-from-windows-azure-part-2-of-2.aspx
• If you want to just send emails from your application, you can include SMTP references in your WCF endpoint, and send email from there. You will be restricted to send emails only.