README.md

📍 Part 1: Prerequisites & osTicket Installation

👉 Part 2: Post-Installation Configuration

👉 Part 3: Ticket Lifecycle Demo

🧠 Technologies Used

• Microsoft Azure (Cloud computing)
• Microsoft Remote Desktop
• Internet Information Services (IIS)

📋 List of Prerequisites

• Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine (Windows 10 Professional x64 22H2)
• osTicket v1.15.8
• MySQL v5.5.62 (win32)
• Heidi SQL build 12.3.0.6589
• php-7.3.8-nts-Win32-VC15-x86
• PHP Manager for IIS v1.5.0
• IIS URL Rewrite Module 2
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x86) - 14.34.31931

📥 Setup & Installation

🖥️ Create and Access Azure Virtual Machine

🌐 Enable Internet Information Services (IIS)

1. Navigate to Control Panel > Uninstall a program > Turn Windows features on or off
2. Tick ✅Internet Information Services
3. Expand Internet Information Services > World Wide Web Services > Application Development Features
4. Tick ✅CGI > OK > After it finishes, click Close

🗄️ Install Required Software

1. Install MySQL Server v5.5.62
   • Choose Typical setup
   • Select Developer machine
   • Choose Multifunctional database
   • Tick ✅Include Bin Directory in Windows PATH
   • Enter root password
   • Click Execute
   • After it concludes, click Finish

2. Install Visual C++ Redistributable

3. Install PHP Manager for IIS

4. Install URL Rewrite Module for IIS

🐘 Install and Configure PHP

1. Download PHP binaries for Windows
2. Extract files to C:\PHP
3. Rename php-7.3.8-nts-Win32-VC15-x86 to PHP
4. In the PHP folder, rename php.ini-production to php.ini
5. Open php.ini and make the following changes:

   • Uncomment ;extension_dir = "ext" by removing the semicolon

   • Add the following lines to the bottom of the file:

     ;Enable extensions
     extension=C:\PHP\ext\php_mysqli.dll
     extension=C:\PHP\ext\php_gd2.dll
     extension=C:\PHP\ext\php_imap.dll
     extension=C:\PHP\ext\php_curl.dll
     extension=C:\PHP\ext\php_pdo_mysql.dll
     extension=C:\PHP\ext\php_mbstring.dll
     extension=C:\PHP\ext\php_intl.dll
     zend_extension=C:\PHP\ext\php_opcache.dll
     
     ;FastCGI settings
     fastcgi.impersonate = 1
     cgi.fix_pathinfo = 1
     cgi.force_redirect = 0
     
     ;Security setting 
     open_basedir = "C:\inetpub\wwwroot;C:\Windows\Temp;C:\PHP\temp"
     

🔧 Configure IIS for PHP

1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager
2. Select your server in the left pane
3. Open Handler Mappings
4. Click Add Module Mapping in the right pane
5. Fill in the following:
   • Request path: *.php
   • Module: FastCgiModule
   • Executable: C:\PHP\php-cgi.exe
   • Name: PHP_via_FastCGI
6. Click OK and accept the prompt to create a FastCGI application

⚙️ Set Up FastCGI Settings

1. In Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, select the server
2. Open FastCGI Settings
3. Find the PHP entry and double-click it
4. Under Environment Variables click … and then Add
5. Add the following environment variables and then press OK > OK:
   • PHP_FCGI_MAX_REQUESTS : 10000
   • PHPRC : C:\PHP

📄 Configure Default Document

1. In Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, select the server
2. Open Default Document
3. Click Add… in the right panel and then add index.php to the list

🧪 Restart IIS & Test PHP

1. In Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, select the server

2. Click Restart in the right pane

3. Create a file named phpinfo.php in your web root (C:\inetpub\wwwroot) with this content:

   <?php phpinfo(); ?>

4. Access it through your browser: http://localhost/phpinfo.php

🎫 osTicket Setup

1. Extract the contents of osTicket-v1.15.8 ("scripts" and "upload" folder)

2. Place the "upload" folder in C:\inetpub\wwwroot

3. Rename the "upload" folder to osTicket

4. Navigate to C:\inetpub\wwwroot\osTicket\include

5. Rename ost-sampleconfig.php to ost-config.php

6. Set permissions for ost-config.php:

   • Right-click ost-config.php > Properties > Security tab > Advanced
   • Disable inheritance > Remove all inherited permissions from this object
   • Click Add > Select a principal > In the text field, enter "everyone"
   • Tick ✅Full control > OK > Apply > OK > OK

7. Then, in Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, select the server and click Restart in the right pane
8. In the left panel, expand Sites > Default Web Site, and then click osTicket

Note

If osTicket does not show up, restart the entire Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager application

9. Click Browse *:80 (http) in the right panel

🗃️ HeidiSQL Installation & Configuration

1. Install and open HeidiSQL. Dismiss the donation message and then press +New
2. In the Password: field, enter the root password that was configured previously during the setup of MySQL Server 5.1
3. Click Open
4. On the left panel of HeidiSQL, right-click Unnamed and then navigate to Create new > Database, in the Name: field, enter osTicket and then press OK. Finally, close out of HeidiSQL.

🏁 Complete osTicket Installation

1. Navigate to localhost/osTicket/setup and click Continue »

2. Fill out the System Settings section:

   • Helpdesk Name: osTicket
   • Default Email: osTicket.support@gmail.com

3. Fill out the Admin User section:

   • First Name: Drew
   • Last Name: Marsh
   • Email address: osTicket.drewmarsh@gmail.com
   • Username: drewmarsh
   • Password: securepassword

4. Fill out the Database Settings section:

   • MySQL Table Prefix: ost_
   • MySQL Hostname: localhost
   • MySQL Database: osTicket
   • MySQL Username: root
   • MySQL Password: securepassword

5. Click Install Now

6. Once you see the "Congratulations!" screen, click the Admin Panel hyperlink

7. Finally, enter the username and password to access the osTicket dashboard

📍 Part 1: Prerequisites & osTicket Installation

👉 Part 2: Post-Installation Configuration

👉 Part 3: Ticket Lifecycle Demo