Service Desk Support Lab 2026

Author: Emilio Mardones

Kia ora, Welcome to my Service Desk Support lab!

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About the lab

This is a hands-on lab that simulates the IT infrastructure you'd find inside a real company. I built it to practise the kind of work a service desk analyst does every day. Once you set up your lab, you will be ready to start managing users, resetting passwords, fixing access issues, implement group policies, do patch management, and manage ticketing services. Everything runs using VirtualBox and free or open-source tools.

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Who is this lab for?

Anyone who wants to break into IT support, sharpen their Active Directory skills, or build a portfolio that proves they can actually do the job. By the end you'll have touched nearly every core technology a Level 1 or Level 2 service desk role expects.

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Learning path

• Installing Windows Server and promoting it to a Domain Controller
• Configuring DNS and DHCP so your network actually works
• Structuring Active Directory with OUs, Security Groups, and real user accounts
• Everyday help-desk tickets: password resets, account unlocks, onboarding, offboarding, department transfers
• NTFS permissions and shared folders — the right people get in, the wrong ones don't
• PowerShell scripts that automate the boring stuff
• Writing runbooks someone else could follow
• Using a ticketing system to log and track issues properly
• WSUS for patch management to keep servers and workstations up to date
• Enrolling devices into Microsoft Intune for modern device management

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Lab Architecture

VM	OS	Hostname	IP	Role
1	Windows Server 2022	AKL-DC01	192.168.10.10	Domain Controller, DNS, DHCP, WSUS
2	Windows 11 Enterprise	WIN11-01	DHCP (192.168.10.100–200)	Domain-joined client
3	Debian Linux	Debian-SRV	192.168.10.20 (reserved)	osTicket ticketing system

NOTE: This lab uses Windows 11 instead of Windows 10, since Windows 10 reached end of support in October 2025. The goal is to stay current rather than rely on legacy software — though be aware many companies still run legacy systems in production.

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Repository Structure

Note: This is subject to changes

graph TD
    ROOT[Service-Desk-Support-Lab] --- SCRIPTS[scripts<br>PowerShell + Bash automation]
    ROOT --- SHOTS[screenshots<br>Configuration evidence]
    ROOT --- DOCS[docs<br>Step-by-step guides]
    ROOT --- BOOKS[runbooks<br>Help-desk procedures]
    ROOT --- TICKETS[tickets<br>Ticket simulations]
    ROOT --- DOCKER[docker<br>Compose file]
    ROOT --- DIAG[diagrams<br>Network topology]
    ROOT --- README[README.md]

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Documentation

• Lab Environment Setup
• Initial Server Setup
• Active Directory Setup
• DHCP Configuration
• Organisational Units
• Groups and Users
• Domain join for WIN11-01 Virtual Machine
• Implementing basic group policies
• Setting Logon hours restrictions for a single user
• WSUS Patch Management Setup
• osTicket Ticketing System Setup
• osTicket Configuration – Agents, Users, SLAs & Email
• Runbooks (coming soon)

PowerShell Scripts

Script	Purpose
01-configure-static-ip.ps1	Set static IP and DNS on DC01
02-install-ad-ds.ps1	Install AD DS, DNS, DHCP roles
03-promote-dc.ps1	Promote server to Domain Controller
04-verify-domain.ps1	Post-promotion verification checks
05-configure-dhcp.ps1	Configure DHCP scope and options
06-create-ous.ps1	Create Organisational Units
07-create-groups.ps1	Create Security Groups
08-create-users.ps1	Create 15 users across 3 departments
09-join-domain.ps1	Joining WIN11=01 VM to the Server Domain
10-move-computer.ps1	Move computer to Workstations OU
11-create-password-policy.ps1	Create and link Password Policy GPO
12-create-lockout-policy.ps1	Create and link Account Lockout Policy GPO
13-create-sales-share.ps1	Create Sales shared folder
14-link-sales-drive-gpo.ps1	Link Sales Drive Mapping GPO to Sales OU
15-set-logon-hours.ps1	Set logon hours for a single user
16-set-department-logon-hours.ps1	Bulk logon hours per department (reference)
17-install-wsus.ps1	Install WSUS role
18-create-wsus-gpo.ps1	Create WSUS client GPO
18-create-wsus-gpo-(alternative).ps1	Create WSUS client GPO (GUI alternative)
19-wsus-sync-bottleneck-fix.ps1	Fix frozen WSUS sync and database deadlocks
20-network-restoration-script.ps1	Restore static IP after NAT switch
23-setup-support-dns.sh	Create DNS record for support.servicedesk.lab
24-osticket-healthcheck-DC01Server.ps1	Domain-side osTicket health check (DNS + port + HTTP)

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Bash Scripts (Debian)

Script	Purpose
21-debian-network.sh	Debian network setup reference
22-osticket-docker-setup.sh	Automated osTicket Docker deployment
25-osticket-healthcheck-Debian.sh	Debian-side osTicket health check (containers + DB + HTTP)

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Help-Desk Ticket Simulations

Each ticket is a real request logged in osTicket, worked on the domain by the service desk analyst (Hiroshi Tanaka), then resolved and documented with evidence.

Ticket	Scenario	Status
001 – Onboarding	Create AD account for a new Sales hire	✅ Resolved
002 – Password Reset	Reset a user's forgotten password	✅ Resolved
003 – Account Unlock	Unlock a locked-out account	✅ Resolved
004 – Department Transfer	Move a user between departments	✅ Resolved
005 – Offboarding Employee from company AD	Disable and archive a leaver's account	✅ Resolved
006 – Shared Folder Access	Diagnose and fix NTFS/share permissions	✅ Resolved
007 - Bulk Logon Hours	Apply department-wide logon restrictions	✅ Resolved
008 – WSUS Patch Management	Approve and verify updates	✅ Resolved
010 – Software Deployment	Deploy software via Group Policy	🔜

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Final Lab Environment Overview

graph TD
    HOST[VirtualBox Host] --- NET[ServicedeskLab NAT Network<br>192.168.10.0/24]

    NET --- DC01[AKL-DC01<br>Windows Server 2022<br>.10 Static]
    DC01 --- AD[AD DS / DNS / DHCP]
    DC01 --- WSUS[WSUS Patch Management]
    DC01 --- FS[File Shares<br>NTFS & Share Perms]
    DC01 --- GPO[Group Policy]

    NET --- W11[WIN11-01<br>Windows 11 Enterprise<br>DHCP .100-.200]
    W11 --- DOMAIN[Domain Joined]

    NET --- DEBIAN[Debian Linux<br>.20 Reserved]
    DEBIAN --- OSTICKET[osTicket :8081]

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