This project documents the design and implementation of a self-hosted Help Desk ticketing environment using osTicket on an Ubuntu Server virtual machine. The lab simulates a small enterprise support operation with departments, role-based access, service-level agreements, ticket routing, Tier 1 troubleshooting, Tier 2 escalation, user communication, and incident resolution.
The environment was created as a hands-on portfolio project for entry-level Help Desk, IT Support Specialist, and Desktop Support roles.
This is an isolated home-lab environment. All users, agents, email addresses, incidents, and company information shown in this repository are fictional.
- Deploy a Linux-based ticketing server in Hyper-V.
- Install and secure the Apache, MariaDB, and PHP application stack.
- Deploy and configure osTicket.
- Implement departments, technical roles, agents, users, and SLA plans.
- Route requests through appropriate Help Topics.
- Document complete incident lifecycles.
- Demonstrate Tier 1 diagnosis and Tier 2 escalation.
- Connect ticket resolutions to Active Directory concepts.
- Practice clear technical documentation and user communication.
flowchart TD
USER["End Users"] --> PORTAL["osTicket Help Desk"]
PORTAL --> T1["Tier 1 Support"]
T1 -->|Escalation required| T2["Tier 2 Support"]
T1 -.->|Account and permission checks| AD["Active Directory Lab"]
T2 -.->|Advanced troubleshooting| AD
PORTAL --> DB["MariaDB Database"]
T1 --> RES["Resolution and User Communication"]
T2 --> RES
| Component | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Hypervisor | Microsoft Hyper-V |
| Virtual machine | TICKET01 |
| Operating system | Ubuntu Server 22.04.5 LTS |
| Ticketing platform | osTicket v1.18.4 |
| Web server | Apache HTTP Server |
| Database | MariaDB |
| Application runtime | PHP 8.2 |
| Host system | Windows 11 Pro |
I created a Generation 2 Ubuntu Server virtual machine in Hyper-V with dynamic memory, two virtual processors, a virtual hard disk, Secure Boot configured for Linux, and network connectivity through a Hyper-V virtual switch.
After installing Ubuntu Server, I verified network connectivity and DNS resolution, updated the operating system, and enabled OpenSSH for remote administration.
I installed and configured:
- Apache
- MariaDB
- PHP 8.2
- PHP extensions required by osTicket
- GDlib and APCu
I verified the Apache and MariaDB services, tested the web server, created a dedicated database and database user, and confirmed that the required PHP extensions were enabled.
I downloaded osTicket from its official release repository, verified the package checksum, deployed the application files, and configured an Apache virtual host.
After completing the web installer, I:
- Removed the installation directory.
- Restricted access to the osTicket configuration file.
- Used a dedicated database account instead of the MariaDB root account.
- Avoided publishing passwords or other credentials.
- Verified access to the Staff Control Panel.
- Support
- IT Support
- Network Support
- Account Administration
- Maintenance
- Sales
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Help Desk Technician - Tier 1 | Initial triage, common troubleshooting, documentation, user communication, and escalation |
| Senior Support Specialist - Tier 2 | Advanced troubleshooting, escalated incidents, and technical resolution |
| Administrator | System configuration, global access, and account administration |
The lab includes an administrator, a Tier 1 technician, and a Tier 2 specialist. Department access and permissions were assigned according to each agent's responsibilities.
| SLA | Grace period | Intended use |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 4 hours | Business-impacting incidents |
| Standard | 24 hours | Normal support requests |
| Low Priority | 72 hours | Low-impact requests and planned assistance |
- Password Reset / Account Access
- Network Connectivity Issue
- Shared Folder / File Access
Each Help Topic was associated with the appropriate department, priority, and SLA plan to support consistent ticket routing.
Problem: A user could not sign in after the account password expired.
Tier 1 actions:
- Verified the user's identity.
- Confirmed that the account was active.
- Identified an expired password.
- Issued a temporary password through an approved secure channel.
- Required a password change at the next sign-in.
- Confirmed successful access and closed the ticket.
Problem: A workstation displayed an unidentified network and could not access corporate resources.
Tier 1 diagnosis:
- Verified physical connectivity and airplane mode.
- Restarted the network adapter.
- Identified an APIPA address in the
169.254.0.0/16range. - Attempted to release and renew the DHCP lease.
- Escalated the incident after DHCP renewal failed.
Tier 2 resolution:
- Verified that the DHCP service was operational.
- Identified an incorrect switch-port VLAN assignment.
- Corrected the VLAN configuration.
- Renewed the workstation's DHCP lease.
- Verified gateway, DNS, and internet connectivity.
Problem: An HR employee received an Access Denied message when opening the departmental shared folder.
Resolution:
- Confirmed network and server availability.
- Verified that the shared path was accessible.
- Reviewed the user's Active Directory group memberships.
- Identified missing membership in
GG_HR_Users. - Added the user to the authorized security group.
- Refreshed the user's security token.
- Confirmed successful access to the HR shared folder.
Related Lab: This incident integrates concepts implemented in my Active Directory Home Lab, including security groups, departmental SMB shares, NTFS permissions, and role-based access control.
flowchart LR
A["Ticket Created"] --> B["Categorized"]
B --> C["Assigned"]
C --> D["Diagnosed"]
D --> E{"Tier 1 resolves?"}
E -->|Yes| F["User Notified"]
E -->|No| G["Escalated to Tier 2"]
G --> F
F --> H["Ticket Closed"]
The documented workflow includes:
- User identification and ticket creation.
- Categorization through Help Topics.
- Department, priority, and SLA assignment.
- Initial user acknowledgment.
- Internal troubleshooting notes.
- Tier 1 to Tier 2 escalation when required.
- Root-cause documentation.
- User-facing resolution.
- Ticket closure.
- Help Desk ticket lifecycle management
- Incident triage and prioritization
- SLA configuration and monitoring
- Tier 1 and Tier 2 escalation
- Technical and customer-facing documentation
- Role-based access control
- Linux server administration
- Apache virtual-host configuration
- MariaDB database administration
- PHP module management
- DHCP, APIPA, DNS, VLAN, and gateway troubleshooting
- Active Directory security groups
- Shared-folder and NTFS permission concepts
- Hyper-V virtualization
- Security-conscious credential handling
Selected evidence from the deployment, configuration, and operation of the Help Desk environment. The complete set of screenshots is available in the screenshots directory.
The osTicket Staff Control Panel was successfully deployed and configured for Help Desk administration.
Role-based access was configured for Tier 1, Tier 2, and administrative responsibilities.
SLA plans and Help Topics were configured to control response expectations and route incoming requests appropriately.
A password-related support request was documented through the complete ticket lifecycle, from creation to resolution.
A network connectivity incident was diagnosed at Tier 1 and escalated to Tier 2 when additional troubleshooting was required.
The final dashboard demonstrates the configured and operational ticketing environment.
This lab reinforced the importance of structured troubleshooting, accurate internal notes, clear communication with users, access based on job responsibilities, and timely escalation. It also demonstrated how a ticketing platform connects day-to-day support work with networking, server administration, security groups, and Active Directory.
Carlos Cabrera
CompTIA A+ Certified | IT Support | Systems Administration