Step-by-Step Guide: Installing osTicket on an Azure Virtual Machine with IIS Configuration

Set up your virtual machine. This part is not fully covered in this walk-through. The primary goal is to walk you through the initial installation of osTicket's Support Ticket System

First Create an Azure Virtual Machine

Virtual Machine:

Windows 10 Pro, version 22H2, x64 Gen2 2-4 vCPUs

Requirements of osTicket in order of installation:

IIS with CGI

PHP Manager

IIS URL Rewrite

MS Visual C++ VC_redist.x86.exe

MySQL (currently MySQL-5.5.62-win32.msi)

Name: osticket-vm

Record Username & Password in Notepad if just creating VM for this practice

**Remember to STOP your Virtual Machine if you’re only testing it out, otherwise Azure will continue to charge you.

Log into the VM with Remote Desktop

Create an Azure Virtual Machine Windows 10, 2-4 vCPUs

• Name: osticket-vm
• Username: projectuser (or whatever you'd like)
• Password: osTicketPassword1! (something you'll remember or save it in notepad for this exercise)

Deployment can take a few minutes.

Log into the VM with Remote Desktop

Look in Azure for your virtual machine to obtain the IP address, you'll need this for logging in via Remote Desktop.

Within the VM (osticket-vm), download the osTicket-Installation-Files.zip. Create a folder on your desktop and name it "osTicket-Installation-Files". Now, right-click on the zipped file and choose Extract To, and Select the new Folder you just created.

• We will use the files in this folder to install osTicket and some of the dependencies.

Install / Enable IIS (Internet Information Services) in Windows WITH CGI

IIS with CGI (Common Gateway Interface) allows IIS to run scripts and executable programs, enabling dynamic web content generation. CGI acts as a bridge between web servers and external applications, processing user requests (e.g., forms) and delivering responses. It supports various languages like Python, Perl, or PHP for web app functionality.

• World Wide Web Services -> Application Development Features -> [X] CGI

PHP Manager for IIS

From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, install PHP Manager for IIS (PHPManagerForIIS_V1.5.0.msi)

PHP Manager for IIS is a tool that simplifies the management of PHP installations on a Windows-based IIS server. It provides an easy-to-use interface for tasks like:

• Installing and registering PHP versions.
• Switching between PHP versions for different sites or applications.
• Configuring PHP settings (e.g., php.ini modifications).
• Checking PHP installation health to identify and resolve misconfigurations.
• Enabling or disabling PHP extensions.

It streamlines the setup and maintenance of PHP in IIS environments, making it easier for administrators to host and manage PHP-based websites and applications efficiently.

From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder install the Rewrite Module (rewrite_amd64_en-US.msi)

IIS URL Rewrite allows IIS to modify and route URLs using defined rules. It supports redirection, rewriting, SEO-friendly URLs, HTTPS enforcement, and request blocking. This enhances user experience, optimizes SEO, and ensures seamless application routing, all while maintaining clean, user-friendly, and secure web addresses.

Next

Create the root directory C:\PHP

Then

From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, unzip PHP 7.3.8 (php-7.3.8-nts-Win32-VC15-x86.zip) into the “C:\PHP” folder

From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, install VC_redist.x86.exe.

MS Visual C++ VC_redist.x86.exe installs the Visual C++ Redistributable, providing runtime components required by applications like osTicket to run properly. It ensures compatibility with the Windows environment, enabling PHP and related libraries to function seamlessly, which are essential for the osTicket help desk system to operate effectively.

Next

From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, install MySQL 5.5.62 (mysql-5.5.62-win32.msi)

• Typical Setup ->
• Launch Configuration Wizard (after install) ->
• Standard Configuration ->
• Username: root
• Password: root

Open IIS as an Admin

Register PHP from within IIS (PHP Manager -> C:\PHP\php-cgi.exe)

Explainer: This basically makes the webserver aware of PHP

Reload IIS (Open IIS, Stop and Start the server)

Install osTicket v1.15.8

• From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, unzip “osTicket-v1.15.8.zip” and copy the “upload” folder into “c:\inetpub\wwwroot”
• Within “c:\inetpub\wwwroot”, Rename “upload” to “osTicket”

Reload IIS (Open IIS, Stop and Start the server)

Go to sites -> Default -> osTicket

• On the right, click “Browse *:80”

Note that some extensions are not enabled

• Go back to IIS, sites -> Default -> osTicket

• Double-click PHP Manager
• Click “Enable or disable an extension”
• Refresh the osTicket site in your browser, observe the changes

Rename: ost-config.php

• From: C:\inetpub\wwwroot\osTicket\include\ost-sampleconfig.php
• To: C:\inetpub\wwwroot\osTicket\include\ost-config.php

Assign Permissions: ost-config.php

• Disable inheritance -> Remove All

• New Permissions -> Everyone -> All

Continue Setting up osTicket in the browser (click Continue)

• Name Helpdesk
• Default email (receives email from customers)

From the “osTicket-Installation-Files” folder, install HeidiSQL.

• Open Heidi SQL

• Create a new session, root/root
• Connect to the session
• Create a database called “osTicket”

Continue Setting up osTicket in the browser

• MySQL Database: osTicket
• MySQL Username: root
• MySQL Password: root
• Click “Install Now!”

Congratulations, hopefully, it is installed with no errors!

• Browse to your help desk login page: http://localhost/osTicket/scp/login.php

End Users osTicket URL:

• http://localhost/osTicket/ 

Clean up

• Delete: C:\inetpub\wwwroot\osTicket\setup
• Set Permissions to “Read” only: C:\inetpub\wwwroot\osTicket\include\ost-config.php