GLPI Setup for ITSM and Asset Management

GLPI Setup for ITSM and Asset Management

Imagine this: your helpdesk is overwhelmed, 30% of requests get lost, inventory lives in Excel, and SLA is never met. That's the pain we see from companies that deployed GLPI out of the box. The default installation doesn't fit any real business—it requires deep customization: categories, forms, permissions, and automatic rules. Our team of DevOps engineers specializes in industrial-grade GLPI customization for ITSM and asset management. Over 7 years, we've completed more than 50 projects, and we consistently confirm: a properly configured GLPI performs as well as ServiceNow, but at 3-5 times lower cost. In this article, we'll break down how we configure GLPI: from containerized deployment to automatic inventory and SLA control.

Why the Standard GLPI Installation Doesn't Cut It

GLPI is more than just a helpdesk. With proper configuration, it connects tickets, inventory, SLA, knowledge base, and IT costs. But out of the box:

• Ticket categories are too generic—every request requires manual classification.
• No automatic inventory—equipment is entered manually, leading to errors and outdated data.
• Routing rules are not configured—the dispatcher manually assigns tasks, increasing MTTR.

We fix that. Compared to commercial alternatives (ServiceNow, Jira Service Management), GLPI costs 3-5 times less for comparable functionality. Licensing savings reach 70%, and the implementation budget typically pays for itself in 6-8 months through automation.

How We Deploy GLPI for Production

For production, we use containerization with session offloading to Redis and a separate MariaDB. Example docker-compose:

services:
  glpi:
    image: diouxx/glpi:latest
    environment:
      - TIMEZONE=Europe/Moscow
      - GLPI_DB_HOST=mariadb
      - GLPI_DB_USER=glpi
      - GLPI_DB_PASSWORD=${DB_PASS}
      - GLPI_DB_NAME=glpi
    volumes:
      - glpi_files:/var/www/html/glpi/files
      - glpi_plugins:/var/www/html/glpi/plugins

We use the official Docker image for GLPI. According to the documentation, a production environment requires an external database and Redis caching.

First, we configure LDAP authentication (Setup → Authentication → LDAP). A sample filter for Active Directory:

BaseDN: OU=Users,DC=company,DC=local
Filter: (&(objectClass=user)(memberOf=CN=IT-Staff,OU=Groups,DC=company,DC=local))
Login field: sAMAccountName

Without LDAP, users are created manually—which is unacceptable for companies with 50+ employees.

How to Set Up Categories and Request Forms

The most time-consuming step is building a category tree that matches the client's business processes. We:

1. Analyze request types: incidents, equipment requests, access, changes.
2. Create second-level categories for each team: "Network", "Servers", "Software", "Security".
3. For each category, we configure a form using Plugin Formcreator with required fields: a dropdown of systems from CMDB, justification, access level.

Example of an automatic routing rule: a ticket from the "Network Equipment" category is assigned to the "Network Engineers" group with priority "High". The dispatcher intervenes only in exceptional cases.

How to Organize Automatic Inventory

Manual inventory entry is a waste of time. We use GLPI Agent (successor of FusionInventory). On all managed hosts, we install the agent and configure it to send data:

# /etc/glpi-agent/agent.cfg server = https://glpi.internal/ tag = datacenter tasks = inventory, deploy 

After the first run, computers, servers, and network equipment appear in GLPI with serial numbers, MAC addresses, and installed software. Data is updated on a schedule (cron or systemd-timer). This cuts inventory time by 80% and eliminates human errors.

Which SLA and Notifications We Configure

We configure SLA via Setup → SLA. For each priority, we define response and resolution times. When violated, GLPI automatically escalates the ticket to a higher-level group or sends a notification to the manager.

Email notifications are configured via SMTP (Setup → Notifications → Email). Templates include variables like ##ticket.title##, ##ticket.url##, ##assign.name##. With SLA configured, you achieve a 95% response time compliance rate.

GLPI vs Commercial ITSM: A Quick Comparison

GLPI does not lag behind commercial systems in basic functionality and wins by a factor of dozens in cost.

What's Included in Our Work?

We also provide configuration documentation and access to a test system. After completion, we conduct training and support the system during the warranty period.

Timelines and How to Order

• Basic setup with LDAP and categories: 3-4 working days.
• Connecting GLPI Agent for automatic inventory: 1-2 days.
• Configuring SLA, Formcreator, and reports: 2-3 days.

Cost is calculated individually—we assess your fleet and requirements. Licensing savings compared to ServiceNow reach 70%. Order GLPI setup and get effective ITSM and asset management. For a consultation, contact us via the form on our website.