Snipe-IT is an open-source asset management system designed to help organizations manage IT resources, including hardware, software licenses, and peripherals. As a self-hosted solution, it offers users complete control over their data, extensive customization options, and a robust API for integrations. This guide walks you through deploying, configuring, and managing Snipe-IT, covering installation, reverse proxy setup, debugging, backups, updates, and leveraging its unique features.
Installing Snipe-IT
📦 Docker/Docker Compose Setup
Docker is the easiest way to deploy Snipe-IT. Below is a docker-compose.yml file tailored for Snipe-IT, complete with MySQL as the database backend.
version: '3.8'
services:
mysql:
image: mysql:8.0
container_name: snipeit_mysql
restart: always
environment:
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: rootpassword
MYSQL_DATABASE: snipeit
MYSQL_USER: snipeit
MYSQL_PASSWORD: snipeitpassword
volumes:
- snipeit_mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql
networks:
- snipeit_network
snipeit:
image: snipe/snipe-it:latest
container_name: snipeit_app
depends_on:
- mysql
restart: always
ports:
- "8080:80"
environment:
- APP_KEY=base64:GENERATE-KEY-HERE
- APP_URL=http://localhost:8080
- DB_HOST=mysql
- DB_DATABASE=snipeit
- DB_USERNAME=snipeit
- DB_PASSWORD=snipeitpassword
volumes:
- snipeit_uploads:/var/www/html/public/uploads
networks:
- snipeit_network
volumes:
snipeit_mysql_data:
snipeit_uploads:
networks:
snipeit_network:
Run the following commands to deploy Snipe-IT with Docker Compose:
nano docker-compose.yml
## Step 2: Deploy the containers
docker-compose up -d
## Step 3: Check the status
docker ps
🚀 Manual Installation
For those who prefer a manual setup on a Linux server, follow these steps:
## Step 1: Update the system and install dependencies
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y apache2 mariadb-server php php-cli php-mbstring php-bcmath php-curl php-intl php-xml php-mysql unzip git
## Step 2: Download Snipe-IT
cd /var/www
sudo git clone https://github.com/snipe/snipe-it.git
cd snipe-it
sudo composer install --no-dev --prefer-source
## Step 3: Set permissions
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/snipe-it
sudo chmod -R 775 /var/www/snipe-it
## Step 4: Configure the application
cp .env.example .env
nano .env # Update database and app settings here
Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
🌐 Nginx Configuration
Set up Nginx to route traffic to your Snipe-IT app. Here's a sample server block:
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
client_max_body_size 100M;
}
Save this configuration to /etc/nginx/sites-available/snipeit and enable it:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/snipeit /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
🔒 SSL/TLS Setup
Secure your Snipe-IT app using Let's Encrypt SSL certificates.
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com
sudo systemctl reload nginx
🛠️ Testing and Reloading Nginx
After making changes to the configuration, always test and reload:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Logging and Debugging Snipe-IT
🗃️ Enabling Debug Logs
Enable detailed logging by modifying the .env file:
nano /var/www/snipe-it/.env
## Set APP_DEBUG to true
APP_DEBUG=true
📄 Viewing Logs
For Docker setups:
docker logs snipeit_app
For manual setups, check the Laravel logs:
tail -f /var/www/snipe-it/storage/logs/laravel.log
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
-
Database connection error: Verify
.envsettings forDB_HOST,DB_USERNAME, andDB_PASSWORD. -
Permission issues: Ensure
www-dataowns the Snipe-IT files and directories.
📤 Exporting Logs
Send logs to an external system like ELK Stack:
docker run -d --name logstash -p 5044:5044 ...
## Configure Filebeat or a similar tool to ship logs from the container
Backup and Restore
🗂️ File-Based Backups
Backup critical Snipe-IT files:
sudo tar -czvf snipeit_backup.tar.gz /var/www/snipe-it
🔄 Database Backups
Export the database:
mysqldump -u snipeit -p snipeit > snipeit_db_backup.sql
Restore the database:
mysql -u snipeit -p snipeit < snipeit_db_backup.sql
📅 Automated Backup Scripts
Set up a cron job:
crontab -e
## Add the following line for nightly backups
0 2 * * * /usr/bin/mysqldump -u snipeit -p'snipeitpassword' snipeit > /backups/snipeit_$(date +\%F).sql
Updating and Upgrading Snipe-IT
⬆️ Updating Docker Images
Pull the latest Docker image and restart:
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d
🛠️ Manual Updates
For manual setups:
cd /var/www/snipe-it
sudo git pull origin main
sudo composer install --no-dev --prefer-source
🔍 Checking for Updates
Stay informed about new releases by monitoring the Snipe-IT GitHub repository.
Leveraging Snipe-IT’s Unique Features
🔧 Enabling APIs
Enable the API in the .env file:
API_ENABLED=true
Example API call to fetch assets:
curl -X GET "http://yourdomain.com/api/v1/hardware" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_token"
🌟 Advanced Configurations
Integrate with third-party tools like Slack for notifications by using Snipe-IT’s webhook capabilities. Update the .env file:
SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL=https://hooks.slack.com/services/your/webhook/url
Wrapping Up
This guide has provided a comprehensive walkthrough of deploying, configuring, and managing Snipe-IT. By following these steps, you can fully leverage its flexibility and control for effective IT asset management. Whether it's setting up backups, debugging, or using APIs, Snipe-IT empowers teams with powerful tools to streamline operations. Start exploring today!
