Configuration¶

After installing Arctyk ITSM using Docker, you’ll need to configure environment variables, database connections, and optional integrations before launching it in production.

This guide walks you through customizing your .env, adjusting docker-compose.yml, and verifying that all services are connected properly.

Environment Variables¶

Arctyk ITSM uses a .env file located in the project root /Arctyk/.env to manage configuration. This file is automatically loaded when running:

docker compose up -d

Here’s an example .env configured for the default Arctyk ITSM stack:

# ─── General Settings ─────────────────────────────
DEBUG=False
SECRET_KEY=your-strong-secret-key
ALLOWED_HOSTS=localhost,127.0.0.1,arctyk.local

# ─── Database Configuration ───────────────────────
DB_NAME=arctyk
DB_USER=arctyk
DB_PASSWORD=arctyk_password
DB_HOST=db
DB_PORT=5433

# ─── Email Settings ───────────────────────────────
EMAIL_BACKEND=django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend
EMAIL_HOST=smtp.office365.com
EMAIL_PORT=587
EMAIL_USE_TLS=True
EMAIL_HOST_USER=helpdesk@yourdomain.com
EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=yourpassword
DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL=helpdesk@yourdomain.com

# ─── Localization ─────────────────────────────────
TIME_ZONE=America/Toronto
LANGUAGE_CODE=en-ca

# ─── Optional Features ────────────────────────────
ENABLE_JIRA=False
ENABLE_ZENDESK=False
ENABLE_POWER_PLATFORM=False
ENABLE_CELERY=True
ENABLE_CHANGELOG=True

Tip

Never commit your .env file to version control. Keep it local or managed securely via Docker Secrets, Vault, or CI/CD environment settings.

Docker Compose Configuration¶

Your docker-compose.yml defines the Arctyk ITSM runtime stack:

version: "3.9"

services:
  web:
    build: .
    container_name: arctyk_web
    command: >
      sh -c "python manage.py migrate &&
             python manage.py collectstatic --noinput &&
             gunicorn helpdesk.asgi:application -k uvicorn.workers.UvicornWorker --bind 0.0.0.0:8000"
    volumes:
      - .:/code
      - static_volume:/code/staticfiles
      - media_volume:/code/media
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    env_file:
      - .env
    depends_on:
      - db
    restart: unless-stopped

  db:
    image: postgres:17
    container_name: arctyk_db
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: ${DB_NAME}
      POSTGRES_USER: ${DB_USER}
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
    ports:
      - "5433:5432"
    volumes:
      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  postgres_data:
  static_volume:
  media_volume:

This configuration ensures:

The web service builds your Django app and runs via Gunicorn + UvicornWorker.
The db service runs PostgreSQL 17 on port 5433.
Static and media files persist via Docker volumes.

Django Settings Overview¶

Arctyk ITSM’s helpdesk/settings.py automatically loads configuration from your .env. You rarely need to modify this file directly — just adjust the environment values.

Key settings linked to your .env:

Setting	Description	Example
`DEBUG`	Enables or disables debug mode	`False`
`SECRET_KEY`	Unique Django secret key	`your-strong-secret-key`
`ALLOWED_HOSTS`	Allowed domains	`localhost, arctyk.local`
`DATABASES`	Database connection details	Loaded from `.env`
`EMAIL_*`	SMTP configuration	Loaded from `.env`
`TIME_ZONE`	Django timezone	`America/Toronto`

Database Configuration¶

Arctyk ITSM uses PostgreSQL as its default database. Your connection is fully defined in .env, and mapped in docker-compose.yml under the db service.

If your PostgreSQL server runs externally or on a different port, update:

DB_HOST=your-db-server-host
DB_PORT=5433

To apply changes:

docker compose down
docker compose up -d

You can verify the connection inside the web container:

docker compose exec web python manage.py dbshell

Email Configuration¶

Email enables features like:

Ticket creation/assignment notifications
Password reset emails
Daily summaries

Use the SMTP backend (recommended for production):

EMAIL_BACKEND=django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend
EMAIL_HOST=smtp.office365.com
EMAIL_PORT=587
EMAIL_USE_TLS=True
EMAIL_HOST_USER=helpdesk@yourdomain.com
EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=yourpassword
DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL=helpdesk@yourdomain.com

To test your setup:

docker compose exec web python manage.py sendtestemail helpdesk@yourdomain.com

Optional Features¶

Arctyk ITSM includes modular integrations you can enable as needed. Set the following in your .env file:

Feature	Variable	Default	Description
Jira Integration	`ENABLE_JIRA`	`False`	Connect tickets with Jira issues
Zendesk Bridge	`ENABLE_ZENDESK`	`False`	Sync with existing Zendesk data
Power Platform	`ENABLE_POWER_PLATFORM`	`False`	Allow Power Automate / Power Apps API access
Scheduled Tasks	`ENABLE_CELERY`	`True`	Enable Celery for background jobs
Change Logging	`ENABLE_CHANGELOG`	`True`	Track changes to assets and tickets

Security Recommendations¶

Before going live:

Set DEBUG=False
Use a long, unique SECRET_KEY
Limit ALLOWED_HOSTS to your actual domain
Serve over HTTPS behind a reverse proxy (e.g. NGINX)
Keep .env and database volumes out of version control
Schedule regular backups for:
- /var/lib/postgresql/data
- /code/media
- .env and configuration files

Next Steps¶

Once configuration is complete, proceed to:

Continue to Deployment → to run Arctyk ITSM in production.
Or explore the User Guide → to start creating and managing tickets.