osTicket Part 1: Installation on Azure Windows Virtual Machine, RDP Connection, and Configuration
Introduction
In this exercise, you will get to learn not just how to navigate and use a ticketing system, but how to install one from scratch and configure it. There are many ticketing systems used by businesses, but the same concepts apply. We will be using osTicket in this exercise.
osTicket is an open-source web-based support ticketing system. It enables businesses to manage incoming support requests and IT assets within a suite.
What you will learn:
- Creating an Azure Windows Virtual Machine
- Connecting to Server with Remote Desktop Protocol
- Enabling and configuring Internet Information Services (IIS)
- Installation of osTicket
- post-installation configuration of osTicket
Creating an Azure Windows Virtual Machine
Prerequisite
- Create a new free Azure account to get access to resources in the Azure portal for 30 days without incurring costs.
On the Azure portal, click on Create Resource and use the following details to complete the launching of your Azure VM.
- Resource group: click on “create new”, and use “ticket-grp” as the name.
- Virtual Machine Name: you can use “osticket-vm”
- Region: (US) East US
- Availability Option: Availability zone
- Availability zones: zone 1
- Security Type: Standard
- Image: Windows 10 Pro, version 22H2
- Size: Select standard_D4s_v3_4cpus
- Administrator ACC: choose username and password // you will need this later to connect to your VM using RDP
- Inbound port rule: <leave as default>
- Licensing: check the box to confirm
Leave every other section on the default configuration and click “Review and Create”. Click “create” if validation is passed.
Connecting to Server with Remote Desktop Protocol
Remote Desktop Protocol is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft Corporation. It provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows us to securely connect to the Windows VM we just created on the Azure portal.
use the following bullet steps to establish the connection:
- Start with typing “remote” on the search bar of your computer taskbar
- Select “remote desktop connection” and “open”
- Enter the public IP of the Windows VM
- Supply the admin username and password you created while launching the VM
- Click connect
- It takes you to the next page where you accept and access the Desktop of your VM running on the Azure portal.
Enabling and configuring Internet Information Services (IIS)
Internet Information Services (IIS) is a Microsoft web server that runs on the Windows operating system. We will use IIS to host, deploy, and manage osTicket.
- Use the following steps to install IIS:
- Search for Control Panel on your taskbar > Programs
- Under programs and features, Select “Turn Windows Features On or Off”
- Select and expand Internet Information Services (IIS)
- Expand World Wide Web Services
- Expand Application Development Features
- Check the common gateway interface (CGI) checkbox, click OK, and wait for the installation to be completed.
Installation of osTicket
There are a couple of files that need to be installed in this phase in other to successfully install osTicket. Use this link to download the files and save them in a folder. Here is a list of them and the installation steps.
- PHPManagerForIIS-v1.5.0.msi
- Double-click to run it > click Next >click I agree > Next > close
- rewrite_amd64
- Double-click to install the rewrite file > click “I accept” and Finish
- php-7.3.8
- Open your C: drive > create a folder named PHP
- Drag or copy the PHP folder you just downloaded into the folder - vc_redist.x86.exe
- Double-click on the file to install the Visual C++ redistributable
- mysql-5.5.62
- Double click to install > Next > Check the “I accept” box > Select Typical > Click Install to launch the MySQL configuration wizard
- click Next > select standard configuration > install as windows service
- The username is “root”, you need to select a password and confirm > click next > Execute > Finish
- Heidisql_12.3.0.6589_setup.exe
- Double-click to run the file > click “I accept” > click Next (4x) > Install > check the box for “Launch Heidisql” > Finish > Skip.
- Click “New” > Enter the password you created for the Root username when you created MySQL > Click “Open”
- Right-click on the left side under the Database (Db) filter > select “New” > Select Database > you can name it osTicket_db
- osTicket-v1.15.8.zip
A couple of steps are required in this phase:
- Open IIS Manager
- Type “Internet” on the search bar in your taskbar and select “Internet Information Services Manager” > click “Run as Administrator”
2. Register New PHP Version
- On the IIS Manager, double-click on the “PHP Manager” > click on “Register New PHP Version” > click on the ”…” to browse a folder. Remember the PHP folder you created in C: drive? Good! click on the folder and select the “php_cgi” file to register PHP. See all the steps in the screenshot below.
3. Enable or Disable PHP extension
- Double-click PHP Manager > click “Enable or disable PHP extensions” > Scroll down to the “Disabled” section > Select and activate the following:
a. php_imap.dll
b. php_intl.dll
c. php_opcache.dll
Note that the “Enable” button is at the top-right corner of the IIS manager. Select each of the above extensions, enable them one at a time, and click on the “Restart” button which is on the right side of the IIS manager.
4. Launch osTicket
- Prepare osTicket Folder
- Locate the osTicket folder from the list of files and folders that you downloaded at the start of this exercise > Right-click to unzip the folder > You should see “Scripts” and “Upload” subfolders.
- Move the folder to a location called “wwwroot” in your C: drive as described below:
- Open another file explorer window > Click “This PC” > OS C: > open “inetpub” > open “wwwroot” > drag the “upload” subfolder from the osTicket folder to the “wwwroot” folder or simply cut and paste and rename it as “osTicket”.
- Rename Configuration Files
- osTicket needs to write to an “ost-config.php” file but it currently exists as “ost-sampleconfig.php”, so you will need to rename it as below:
- Open Windows Explorer and select C: > inetpub > wwwroot > osTicket > include > locate “ost-sampleconfig.php” and change it to “ost-config.php” - Grant Permission to ost-config file
- Right-click ost-config.php > Open Properties > Security > Advanced > Permissions > Select “Disable Inheritance” > Remove all inherited permissions from this object.
- Proceed to select Add > select Principal > type in “everyone” > select Check Names > select OK > check the “full control” box > Select apply > OK.
- osTicket Web App Setup
- Open IIS manager > Select “Sites” > Select “default website” > Select “osTicket” > On the right side, click on “Browse: 80 (http)” > Click continue.
System Settings:
- Helpdesk name: Michael Helpdesk // You can use any name
- Default Email: michael@helpdesk.com
- Primary Language: <Choose your language>
Admin User:
- First name: Michael
- Last name: John
- Email: mJohn@gmail.com
- Username: Michael
- Password: <Choose a password>
- Retype password: <Retype your chosen password>
Database Settings:
- MySQL Database: osticket_db //We created the Db when we launched Heidisql
- MySQL username: root
- MySQL password: <use the Heidisql password you created>
- Click “Install Now”
- Installation Cleanup
-Go to C: > inetpub > wwwroot > osTicket > Setup > Delete the Setup folder
- Go to C: > Inetpub > wwwroot > osTicket > Include > Right-click on ost-config.php
- Select Securities > Advanced > Click on “everyone” > edit to change permissions
- Allow everyone to only have “Read and execute” permission, then select OK > Apply > OK
If you click on the link “http://localhost/osTicket/scp” on the landing page, it will take you to the Admin panel where we will set up the Dashboard.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You learned how to provision an Azure Windows VM, connect to it using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), and the necessary configurations required to successfully launch the osTicket web application. Check out the next post on how to create Agents, Teams, Departments, and Service Level Agreements (SLA).
