Building a Help Desk Ticketing System from scratch: Integrating osTicket & Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine

About the Project

Title: Building a Help Desk Ticketing System from scratch: Integrating osTicket & Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine & Remote Desktop Connection

This project demonstrates the end-to-end setup and deployment of a help desk ticketing system using osTicket on Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (VMs). The primary goal is to showcase proficiency in Azure cloud services, including Virtual Machines, Virtual Networks, Subnets, and Network Security Groups (NSGs) while also demonstrating the installation, configuration, and deployment of a ticketing system.

The project covers:
✔ Azure Virtual Machine Deployment – Setting up and configuring a VM to host osTicket.
✔ Networking in Azure – Configuring Virtual Networks, Subnets, and NSGs for secure access.
✔ Web Server & Database Setup – Installing and configuring IIS, PHP, MySQL, and dependencies.
✔ osTicket Installation & Configuration – Deploying osTicket, setting up email notifications, and managing ticket workflows.

This hands-on project highlights key cloud infrastructure and system administration skills, making it an excellent demonstration of Azure-based server deployment, networking, and IT support solutions.

🎯 Key Learning Objectives & IT Skills Demonstrated

🔹 ☁️ Azure Virtual Machine Deployment
✅ Provision & Configure an Azure VM – Deploy a Virtual Machine (VM) in Microsoft Azure to host the osTicket system.
✅ Networking Setup – Configure Virtual Networks (VNet), Subnets, and Network Security Groups (NSGs) to ensure secure access to the help desk system.

🔹 🖥️ Web Server & Database Configuration
✅ Install & Configure IIS – Set up Internet Information Services (IIS) as the web server for osTicket.
✅ Deploy PHP & MySQL – Install and configure PHP and MySQL to enable osTicket’s functionality.

🔹 🎫 osTicket Installation & Administration
✅ Deploy osTicket – Install and configure the osTicket help desk ticketing system on the Azure VM.
✅ Perform Administrative Tasks:
👤 Create User Accounts – Define roles and permissions.
🏢 Set Up Departments & Help Topics – Organize ticket workflows efficiently.
✅ Act as a Help Desk Agent:
📌 Create, Manage, and Resolve Tickets – Simulate real-world IT support scenarios.

🔹 📧 Email Integration
✅ Configure Email Notifications – Enable automatic email updates for users when tickets are updated or resolved.

🔹 🔗 Bonus: Web Form Integration with osTicket
✅ Integrate osTicket with a Web Form using:
🖥️ osTicket Connector Plugin – Connect WordPress forms to osTicket.
🔗 WordPress & WPForms – Build a custom ticket submission form.
✅ Simulate External Ticket Submissions via API – Allow users to create tickets without direct osTicket access.

This project demonstrates essential cloud infrastructure, system administration, IT support workflows, and help desk ticketing skills, making it an excellent showcase of Azure VM deployment, web hosting, database management, and IT service management (ITSM) best practices. 🚀

✔ Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (VMs)
🔹 Provides isolated environments for hosting each system (osTicket, Web Server, and Database).

✔ osTicket VM (Help Desk Ticketing System) – Virtual Machine 1
🔹 Hosts the osTicket system for managing, creating, and resolving tickets.
🔹 Handles ticket communication and resolution emails.

✔ Azure Networking (Virtual Networks, Subnets, NSGs)
🔹 Configures secure communication between virtual machines.
🔹 Defines inbound and outbound traffic rules for security.

✔ Web Server & Database Setup
🔹 Internet Information Services (IIS) – Web server to host osTicket.
🔹 PHP & MySQL Database – Required dependencies for osTicket.

✔ Remote Desktop Connection (RDP)
🔹 A utility that uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to establish a secure remote connection to virtual machines.
🔹 Used to access and manage the virtual machines hosting osTicket and related services.

✔ Email Integration (via osTicket)
🔹 Sends ticket resolution updates to users automatically.

Bonus: Submitting a Help Desk Support Ticket via a Web Form
✔ WPForms (Paid Version)
🔹 A WordPress plugin to create and customize web forms.
🔹 Used for creating the ticket submission form that integrates with osTicket.

✔ osTicket Connector Plugin
🔹 A WordPress plugin that connects WPForms with osTicket using its API.
🔹 Used to automatically create tickets in osTicket from submitted web forms.

This project provides a real-world demonstration of deploying a help desk ticketing system in Azure, showcasing VM management, networking, server configuration, and ticket automation in a cloud-based environment.

Azure Resource Architecture for osTicket Implementation

Enhanced Ticket Submission Workflow: Integrating Web Forms with osTicket System

Project Steps

✔ Step 1: Set Up Virtual Machine 1 to Host osTicket
🔹 Purpose:
Configure the Azure Virtual Machine (VM) to host osTicket, ensuring it functions as a fully operational help desk ticketing system.

✔ Host and Configure osTicket
🔹 Install and configure osTicket as the primary ticketing system.
🔹 Set up the web server (IIS), PHP, and MySQL database required for osTicket.

✔ Perform Administrator Tasks
🔹 Create user accounts, assign roles, and define permissions.
🔹 Set up departments, teams, and help topics to structure ticket workflows.

✔ Act as a Help Desk Agent
🔹 Create, manage, and resolve tickets to simulate real-world troubleshooting and IT support tasks.
🔹 Utilize email notifications for ticket updates.

✔ Bonus: Web Form Integration with osTicket (API-Based Submission)
    🔹 Integrate osTicket with a custom web form using:
         🔹 osTicket Connector Plugin
         🔹 WordPress + WPForms
    🔹 Simulate external ticket submissions via API.
    🔹 This bonus integration will be completed at the end of the project as an extension to the primary osTicket setup.

This step establishes Virtual Machine 1 as the core help desk system, managing ticket workflows and serving as the centralized support portal.

Steps: Setting up the Virtual Machine in Microsoft Azure.

1. Create a Microsoft Azure account, log into the Azure portal.

2. Make sure you have a “pay as you go” subscription for the Azure tenant, that way you have access to many Azure services, such as virtual machines.

3. Create a virtual machine:

Note: Make sure you have a resource group created first, which will house our resources, such as the virtual machine.

First go to azure virtual machine service:

Azure Homepage > search bar > type “virtual machine” > click on virtual machine > on the virtual machine page click on the blue button on the middle of the page titled “create” > from the drop down choose the first option “azure virtual machines”

Azure Resource Architecture for osTicket Implementation

Create the Virtual Machine

Steps: Setting Up the Virtual Machine Settings in Microsoft Azure.

See detailed images attached to this step in the gallery below, images include all settings which are included in the virtual machine set up, after the previous step titled “Setting up the Virtual Machine in Microsoft Azure”.

Virtual Machine Settings

Virtual Machine Deployed Successfully

Steps: Login to the Newly created Azure virtual machine with Remote Desktop Protocol.

Within Microsoft Azure in the main search bar type “virtual machine” > click on virtual machine > Under list of virtual machines find the virtual machine which was created that is identified by the virtual machine name in our case “osticket-vm” > click on “osticket-vm” > copy the public ip address, in our case its “52.188.185.240” > open the run dialog box and type windows key + R > type “mstsc” command prompt in the run dialog box to launch remote desktop connection window > paste the virtual machines public ip address in remote desktop connection in the “computer name” box > click connect. Steps:

Note: See detailed steps in attached images.

Copy the public IP address of the Virtual Machine

Launch the remote desktop connection

Paste the VM public IP address

Successfully Logged into Osticket Virtual Machine

Steps: Download, Configure and Install OsTicket on Virtual Machine 1:

Download and Extract OsTicket:

Within osticket-vm > Go to Microsoft Edge Browser > Type in OsTicket download and installation in the search bar > download the OsTicket zip file > or to make things easier download the OsTicket zip file here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kIrGjZuotWbUDd3vL-PP5SKGB1_4vczs/view?usp=sharing > click download files anyway > the .zip file is automatically saved in the downloads folder > go to the download folder by clicking > file explorer > on the left hand navigation youll see downloads > click downloads > you will see the .zip file named “osTicket-Installation-Files” > drag the zip file to the desktop window > right click on the .zip file and click “extract all” > you should see the extracted folder titled “osTicket-Installation-Files” on the desktop.

Note: See detailed steps in attached images.

osticket-vm Virtual Machine browser search for Osticket Installation page

OsTicket Installation .zip File in Google Drive

Extract OsTicket .zip file

OsTicket Installation Files fully extracted and ready for configuration

Steps: Configure and Install OsTicket on virtual machine 1 (Note: While only a few screenshots are provided for this setup, following the steps in order will successfully configure and install osTicket, including the server and database. This setup enables osTicket to run locally, allowing access to both the /scp (admin) and agent portals through the browser on the host device.)

This section provides a step-by-step guide to configure and install osTicket on Virtual Machine 1, including setting up the necessary server, database, and admin portal to run osTicket locally. Follow these steps carefully to successfully complete the setup.

Carefully Follow the steps in this google drive and the steps below aswell: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VDPVv-lf54M6aCSCTtyxnvPaDg9-rOVUhgCphBGzUeo/edit?usp=sharing

osTicket Installation .zip file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kIrGjZuotWbUDd3vL-PP5SKGB1_4vczs/view?usp=sharing

Enable IIS and Install the Web Server

Open Control Panel:
- Click the Start Menu and search for Control Panel.
- Open Control Panel > Click on Programs > Select Turn Windows Features On or Off.
Enable Internet Information Services (IIS):
- In the Windows Features dialog box, locate Internet Information Services.
- Check the box and expand it.
- Navigate to World Wide Web Services > Application Development Features > Check CGI.

Install Required Components

Install PHP Manager for IIS:
- From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, run PHPManagerForIIS_V1.5.0.msi.
Install the Rewrite Module:
- From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, run rewrite_amd64_en-US.msi.
Set Up PHP:
- Create the directory C:\PHP.
- From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, unzip php-7.3.8-nts-Win32-VC15-x86.zip into C:\PHP.
- Install VC_redist.x86.exe from the same folder.
Install MySQL:
- Run mysql-5.5.62-win32.msi (Typical Setup).
- Launch the Configuration Wizard:
  - Select Standard Configuration.
  - Use root for both username and password.
- MySQL is now installed but not yet configured.

Configure IIS and Register PHP

Open IIS as Administrator:
- Register PHP with IIS via PHP Manager:
  - Select C:\PHP\php-cgi.exe.
- Reload IIS by stopping and starting the server.

Install osTicket

Unzip osTicket Files:
- From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, unzip osTicket-v1.15.8.zip.
- Copy the upload folder to C:\inetpub\wwwroot and rename it to osTicket.
Reload IIS:
- Open IIS and restart the server.
Launch osTicket Setup:
- In IIS, navigate to Sites > Default Web Site > osTicket.
- On the right, click *Browse :80.
- Note any missing PHP extensions.

Enable PHP Extensions

In IIS, go to Sites > Default Web Site > osTicket > Double-click PHP Manager.
Enable the following extensions:
- php_imap.dll
- php_intl.dll
- php_opcache.dll
Refresh the osTicket site in the browser to apply changes.

Configure osTicket

Rename the Configuration File:
- From C:\inetpub\wwwroot\osTicket\include\ost-sampleconfig.php, rename it to ost-config.php.
Set Permissions:
- Disable inheritance for ost-config.php.
- Remove all permissions and assign Everyone with Full Control.
Complete Browser Setup:
- Open the osTicket setup page in the browser.
- Set the help desk name (e.g., Kareem’s Help Desk) and provide a default email address.

Set Up the Database

Install HeidiSQL:
- Run the installer from the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder.
Create the Database:
- Open HeidiSQL and create a new session using:
  - Username: root
  - Password: root
- Create a database named osTicket.

Finish osTicket Installation

Complete Database Configuration:
- In the osTicket browser setup:
  - MySQL Database: osTicket
  - MySQL Username: root
  - MySQL Password: root
- Click Install Now!
Verify Database Setup:
- Refresh the database view in HeidiSQL to confirm the osTicket database.

Access osTicket

Admin Portal:
- Go to http://localhost/osTicket/scp/login.php.
- Login using the credentials:
  - Username: adminuser
  - Password: Password1.
User Portal:
- Access the user-facing portal at http://localhost/osTicket/.
Admin Tasks:
- Assign users, departments, and configure ticket categories.
- Manage agent roles and permissions.

Open Control Panel

Click on programs

Click on "turn windows feature on/off" to open windows feature dialog box

Look for "Internet Information Services" and check the box, expand within the windows feature dialog

osTicket has been successfully installed, along with server, database

osTicket Login - Admin Portal

osTicket Login - Initialization

Welcome to the admin user osTicket Dashboard

🔹 Post-Installation Setup: Configuring Users, Roles, and Departments in osTicket

📌 Purpose:
After successfully installing osTicket, we will configure user roles, departments, and permissions to establish a structured help desk workflow. This setup ensures that tickets are efficiently assigned and managed within the system. This section ensures that osTicket is fully functional for a real-world help desk environment. We’ll configure system roles, set up user accounts, and finalize the system to manage tickets, including user login, agent assignment, and email communication.

✅ Tasks to Complete:
✔️ Create a System Administrator – Full control over osTicket settings and configurations.
✔️ Set Up the IT Department – The main support team responsible for handling tickets.
✔️ Assign an Agent (Help Desk Technician) – The individual responsible for responding to and resolving tickets.
✔️ Register an End-User (Employee Requesting Support) – The user who will submit requests for IT assistance.

This post-installation configuration ensures a realistic ticketing workflow, allowing you to simulate ticket creation, assignment, and resolution within a structured IT help desk system.

Admin Login Portal

User Login Portal

✔️ Steps for Post Installation Setup
🔑 Access the Admin Panel of osTicket

Open a web browser and go to:
Admin Login URL: http://localhost/osTicket/scp/login.php
Log in with the admin credentials:
Username: adminuser
Password: Password1
This will take you to the osTicket Admin Panel.

Admin Dashboard

⚙️ Set Up System Roles

Navigate to the Admin Panel → Agents → Roles.

Create Roles for each type of user:

System Admin (Supreme Admin): The admin responsible for managing the system, configuring settings, and managing agents. Enable all permissions.

Name the role "Supreme Admin"

Grant Permissions Settings

Grant Permissions Settings P2

Supreme Admin role created

Configure Departments (Ticket Visibility & Categories)

Location: Admin Panel → Agents → Departments

Help Desk – Handles all IT support requests

🔹 Configure Help Desk Agent (Kareem)
📌 Location: Admin Panel → Agents → Add New

✔️ Agent Name: Kareem
✔️ Department: Help Desk
✔️ Role: Help Desk Agent
✔️ Permissions:

Tickets
Assign ✅
Close ✅
Create ✅
Delete ❌
Edit ✅
Edit Thread ✅
Link ✅
Mark as Answered ✅
Merge ✅
Post Reply ✅
Refer ✅
Release ✅
Transfer ✅
Tasks
Assign ✅
Close ✅
Create ✅
Delete ❌
Edit ✅
Post Reply ✅
Transfer ✅

Create Department

Department Created

Agent Kareem Created

Configure Agent Settings

Configure User (Alex – End User Submitting Tickets)
Location: Agent Panel → Users → Add New

User Name: Alex
Email: info@wellnessdepotusa.com
Department Access: Help Desk (Can submit tickets to the Help Desk client/user login)

Agent Panel > User Directory > Click on Alex > Click Register User > Create Password for user to login.

User Alex Created

Alex osTicket User Dashboard

Allow Ticket Creation Rules
Location: Admin Panel → Settings → User Settings

Registration Required – Only registered users can submit tickets
Unregistered users cannot create tickets

Configure SLA Policies (Ticket Resolution Deadlines)
Location: Admin Panel → Manage → SLA

Standard Support: Resolution within 8 hours (Business Hours)

osTicket is now configured with one admin, one department, one help desk agent, and one end user.
Next Steps: Begin testing ticket creation and resolution workflows!

🎯 Conclusion: Deploying a Help Desk Ticketing System with osTicket on Azure Virtual Machines

This project successfully demonstrates the end-to-end deployment and configuration of a help desk ticketing system using osTicket on Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (VMs). By setting up cloud-based infrastructure, configuring network security and access control, and deploying a fully functional ticketing system, this project highlights key IT service management (ITSM) and cloud administration skills.

✅ Key Accomplishments:

🔹 ☁️ Azure Virtual Machine Deployment:

Provisioned an Azure Virtual Machine (VM) to host osTicket.
Configured Virtual Networks (VNet), Subnets, and Network Security Groups (NSGs) to secure system access.

🔹 🖥️ Web Server & Database Setup:

Installed and configured Internet Information Services (IIS) as the web server.
Set up PHP & MySQL Database to support osTicket functionality.

🔹 🎫 osTicket Installation & Configuration:

Successfully deployed and configured the osTicket help desk system.
Configured help topics, departments, and user roles to structure ticket management workflows.

🔹 📧 Email Integration & Automated Ticket Updates:

Enabled email notifications to update users when tickets are created, assigned, and resolved.

🔹 🔗 Bonus: Web Form Integration with osTicket:

Integrated osTicket with WordPress using WPForms and the osTicket Connector Plugin.
Enabled API-based ticket submission via a custom web form.

🎯 Final Thoughts & Real-World Applications

This project serves as an excellent demonstration of IT help desk operations, cloud infrastructure, and ticketing system management. The Azure-based deployment of osTicket mirrors real-world enterprise IT environments, making this project highly relevant for IT professionals in system administration, help desk support, and cloud computing.

✅ IT Support & Help Desk – Managing tickets, responding to user requests, and automating help desk workflows.
✅ Cloud & System Administration – Deploying cloud-based infrastructure and ensuring secure access to IT services.
✅ Web & Database Management – Configuring web servers, managing databases, and integrating external ticket submission systems.

🚀 Next Steps: Future enhancements could include:
🔹 Implementing Single Sign-On (SSO) for improved security and user authentication.
🔹 Automating Ticket Assignment & Escalation using predefined business rules.
🔹 Enhancing Reporting & Analytics to track help desk performance metrics.