osTicket: Deployment & Service Desk Workflow

This project demonstrates the complete deployment, configuration, and operational workflow of the osTicket ticketing system within a Windows 10 virtualized environment hosted in Microsoft Azure. The lab begins with configuring the full web stack—installing and enabling Internet Information Services (IIS), registering PHP, enabling required extensions, configuring MySQL, and preparing the file system for secure operation. After successfully deploying the application, the lab transitions into realistic IT service desk operations, including configuring roles, departments, teams, SLAs, help topics, agents, and end-users.

The final portion of the lab focuses on the full ticket lifecycle, simulating real-world IT support scenarios. You create tickets, triage them based on severity, assign them to appropriate agents and departments, adjust priorities and SLAs, and work them through resolution. This end-to-end lab mirrors enterprise help desk operations and showcases technical skills in system deployment, web server configuration, database management, IT service workflows, and structured ticket handling used across IT Support, Help Desk, and Service Desk Analyst roles.

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Environments and Technologies Used

• Microsoft Azure
• Windows 10 Pro Virtual Machine
• Internet Information Services (IIS)
• PHP Ecosystem
• HeidiSQL
• osTicket Application
• IT Service Management Concepts

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Table of Contents

• 1) Create Virtual Machine
• 2) Enable Internet Information Services (IIS)
• 3) Download osTicket Dependencies
• 4) Configure Internet Information Services (IIS) and Register PHP
• 5) Install osTicket
• 6) Download Extensions
• 7) Grant osTicket Permissions
• 8) Install HeidiSQL
• 9) Setup osTicket in Browser
• 10) Verify Installation Success
• 11) Configure Roles, Departments, and Teams
• 12) Create Agents
• 13) Create a User
• 14) Configure SLAs and Help Topics
• 15) Create Help Tickets
• 16) Triage Tickets
• 17) Work Ticket to Completion

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1) Create Virtual Machine

1. Seach Virtual Machines then create give the Virtual Machine the following settings then create the Virtual Machine

• Basics
  • Resource Group: osTicket-vm_group
  • Name: osTicket-vm
  • Image: Windows 10 Pro
  • Size: 2vcpus
  • Reigon: South Central US
  • Username: userryan
  • Password: Cyberlab123!

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2) Enable Internet Information Services (IIS)

1. In the Virtual Machine open the computers Control Panel and select Programs
2. Select Turn windows features on or off

3. Check the box labeled Intenet Information Services
4. Navigate through Internet Information Services to CGI and check the box

5. Complete Installation

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3) Download osTicket Dependencies

1. Download and extract osTicket Dependencies file on the Virtual Machine
2. Install the PHP Manager and the Rewrite Module from the osTicket Dependencies file
3. On the C: \ create a folder named PHP
4. In the osTicket Dependencies folder extract the file named php to the PHP folder on the C: \
5. Install VC_redist and mysql when asked choose Typical Setup
6. Launch the MySQL configuration wizard and choose Standard Configuration when asked

7. Create a root password and complete the wizard

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4) Configure Internet Information Services (IIS) and Register PHP

1. Open IIS as an admin

2. Open PHP Manager

3. Select Register new PHP version
4. Select PHP executable on the C: \

5. Stop and start the server

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5) Install osTicket

1. In the osTicket Installation Files folder extract the contents of the osTicket folder
2. Copy the upload folder to c:\inetpub\wwwroot and rename the folder osTicket

3. Stop and start the server in ISS

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6) Download Extensions

1. Navigate to the osTicket folder in IIS
2. Select Browse 80

3. Observe the site

4. In IIS navigate to the osTicket folder select PHP Manager
5. Click enable or disable an extention
6. Find these three extensions:
   • php_imap
   • php_intl
   • php_opcache
7. Right click and enable them

8. Refresh the web browser and observe the changes

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7) Grant osTicket Permissions

1. Navigate to C:\inetpub\wwwroot\osTicket\include\ost-sampleconfig.php
2. Rename the file to C:\inetpub\wwwroot\osTicket\include\ost-config.php
3. For the ost-config.php file right click and open Properties
4. Select Security then click Advanced
5. Disable inheritance then click add

6. Select a Principal
7. Enter Everyone and select Check Names
8. Check the box labeled Full Control and apply the changes

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8) Install HeidiSQL

1. In the osTicket Installation Files folder install and launch HeidiSQL

2. Select New then enter the information for the root user then click open

3. Right click unnamed and create a new database name osTicket

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9) Setup osTicket in Browser

1. Go back to osTicket in the browser and select continue
2. Fill out the helpdesk information
   • MySQL Database: osTicket
   • MySQL Username and Password enter the root user information
3. Complete the Installation

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10) Verify Installation Success

1. Go to the osTicket helpdesk login page: http://localhost/osTicket/scp/login.php
2. Login to the helpdesk

11) Configure Roles, Departments, and Teams

1. Open osTicket as an admin in the Virtual Machine
   • Admin/Analyst Login Page

2. In the admin account open the Admin Panel
3. Select the Agent tab then select Roles then Add New Role
4. Create a Supreme Admin and grant all Permissions and create role

5. Select Departments then Add New Department
6. Create a SysAdmins department and make it a Top Level Department
7. Delete the Maintenance department

8. Select Teams then Add New Team
9. Create an Online Banking team

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12) Create Agents

1. Select Settings then Users and uncheck the box labeled Require registration and login to create tickets

2. Select Agents then Add New Agent
3. Create two Agents: named Jane and John

   • Jane

     • Role: Supreme Admin
     • Department: SysAdmins
     • Team: Online Banking

   • John

     • Role: All Access
     • Department: Support
     • Team: Leave Blank

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13) Create a User

1. Select the Agent Panel then select Users then Add User
2. Name the user Karen and fill out necessary information

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14) Configure SLAs and Help Topics

1. Go back to the Admin Panel select Manage then SLA
2. Add New SLA Plan and create 3 SLAs:

   • Sev-A

     • Grace Period: 1 hour
     • Schedule: 24/7

   • Sev-B

     • Grace Period: 4 hours
     • Schedule: 24/7

   • Sev-C

     • Grace Period: 8 hours
     • Schedule: 24/5

3. Select Help Topics and Add New Help Topic
4. Create 5 Help Topics

   • Business Critical Outage

     • Parent Topic: Report a Problem

   • Personal Computer Issues

     • Parent Topic: Report a Problem

   • Equipment Request

     • Parent Topic: General Inquiry

   • Password Reset

     • Parent Topic: Report a Problem

   • Other

     • Parent Topic: General Inquiry

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15) Create Help Tickets

1. Login as an end user and create a ticket with the following information:

• Ticket 1
  • Help Topic: General Inquiry / Other
  • Issue Summary: entire mobile/online banking system is down
  • Issue Description: When I got back from lunch, I couldn't log into the online banking system portal, and none of my tellers at the bank can either.

2. Create a second ticket with the follwing information:

• Ticket 2
  • Help Topic: Personal Computer Issues
  • Issue Summary: Adobe Reader not working
  • Issue Description: Some people in the accounting department can't use adobe reader

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16) Triage Tickets

1. Log into the agent portal

2. Observe the Adobe Reader not working ticket
3. Make the following changes:

• Priority: High
• Department: Support
• SLA: Sev-B
• Assigned To: John

4. Close Ticket

5. Observe the entire mobile/online banking system is down ticket
6. Make the following changes:

• Priority: Emergency
• SLA: Sev-A
• Help Topic: Business Critical Outage
• Assigned To: Jane

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17) Work Ticket to Completion

1. Long into the agent portal as SysAdmin
2. Observe the entire mobile/online banking system is down ticket
3. Post reply to the ticket

4. Close ticket