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NEXUS Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about NEXUS Support System.

General Questions

What is the NEXUS Support Ticket System?

A full-featured support ticket system with MongoDB integration and GitHub issue synchronization. It allows you to manage support tickets and sync them with GitHub issues for enhanced collaboration.

What are the system requirements?

  • Node.js 14.0.0 or higher
  • MongoDB 4.4 or higher
  • 2GB RAM minimum
  • 20GB storage minimum

Is this free to use?

Yes, the system is open-source and free to use. You'll need:

  • Free MongoDB (local or MongoDB Atlas free tier)
  • GitHub account (free)
  • Hosting (varies by provider)

Installation and Setup

How do I install the system?

See the Installation Guide for detailed step-by-step instructions.

Can I use this without GitHub?

Yes, you can use the system without GitHub integration. The GitHub features are optional.

Do I need to know how to code?

Basic knowledge of command line and configuration is helpful, but no coding is required for basic usage.

Configuration

Where do I set environment variables?

Copy .env.example to .env and edit the file with your configuration.

What is the webhook secret for?

The webhook secret secures GitHub webhooks. It verifies that webhooks are actually from GitHub.

How do I generate secure secrets?

Use OpenSSL:

openssl rand -hex 32

Can I change the port?

Yes, set PORT in your .env file.

Database

What database does this use?

MongoDB with Mongoose ODM.

Can I use MongoDB Atlas?

Yes, update MONGODB_URI in .env with your Atlas connection string.

How do I backup the database?

See the Deployment Guide for backup strategies.

Can I use a different database?

Not currently. The system is designed for MongoDB.

GitHub Integration

How does GitHub integration work?

The system uses GitHub webhooks to:

  • Create tickets from GitHub issues
  • Sync comments between tickets and GitHub
  • Update ticket status based on issue state

Do I need a GitHub Personal Access Token?

Yes, for syncing tickets to GitHub. See Installation Guide for how to create one.

What GitHub events are supported?

  • Issues: opened, closed, reopened, edited, labeled
  • Issue comments: created

Can I sync existing tickets to GitHub?

Yes, use the "Sync with GitHub" button on ticket details or the API endpoint.

What if I don't want GitHub integration?

Simply don't configure the GitHub environment variables. The system will work without them.

Authentication

Is authentication required?

Authentication is optional and can be configured per endpoint.

What authentication method is used?

JWT (JSON Web Tokens) with bcrypt password hashing.

What user roles are available?

  • admin: Full access
  • support_agent: Can manage tickets
  • user: Can create tickets

How do I create an admin user?

Register a user with role "admin" via the API or database.

Usage

How do I create a ticket?

Use the web interface at http://localhost:3000 or the API endpoint POST /api/tickets.

Can I assign tickets to users?

Yes, update the assignedTo field when updating a ticket.

How do I add comments to tickets?

Use the web interface or the API endpoint POST /api/tickets/:ticketId/comments.

Can I filter tickets?

Yes, filter by status, priority, category, and assignee via query parameters.

What are the ticket statuses?

  • open: New ticket
  • in_progress: Being worked on
  • resolved: Issue resolved
  • closed: Ticket closed

What are the priority levels?

  • low: Low priority
  • medium: Normal priority
  • high: High priority
  • critical: Urgent priority

Development

How do I contribute?

See the Developer Guide for contribution guidelines.

Can I customize the frontend?

Yes, edit public/index.html. It's vanilla HTML/CSS/JavaScript.

How do I add new API endpoints?

See the Developer Guide for instructions.

What's the project structure?

See the Developer Guide for architecture overview.

Deployment

Where can I deploy?

  • VPS (DigitalOcean, Linode, AWS EC2)
  • PaaS (Heroku, Render, Railway)
  • Container services (Docker, AWS ECS)

Do I need SSL/HTTPS?

Highly recommended for production. See Deployment Guide.

How do I set up SSL?

Use Let's Encrypt with Certbot. See Deployment Guide.

Can I use Docker?

Yes, see the Deployment Guide for Docker setup.

Troubleshooting

The server won't start

Check:

  • MongoDB is running
  • Port is not in use
  • Environment variables are set
  • Dependencies are installed

Webhooks aren't working

Check:

  • Webhook URL is publicly accessible
  • Webhook secret matches
  • GitHub webhook delivery logs
  • Server logs

Database connection fails

Check:

  • MongoDB is running
  • Connection string is correct
  • Firewall allows connection
  • IP whitelist (for Atlas)

See more issues?

See the Troubleshooting Guide.

Security

Is this secure for production?

Yes, when properly configured with:

  • Strong secrets
  • SSL/HTTPS
  • Authentication enabled
  • Firewall configured
  • Regular updates

Should I commit .env file?

No, never commit .env. It's in .gitignore by default.

How do I secure the database?

  • Enable authentication
  • Use strong passwords
  • Use TLS/SSL
  • Restrict network access
  • Regular backups

Licensing

What license is this under?

MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.

Can I use this commercially?

Yes, MIT license allows commercial use.

Do I need to attribute the original authors?

No, MIT license doesn't require attribution, but it's appreciated.

Support

Where can I get help?

  • Documentation in /docs directory
  • GitHub Issues
  • Contact maintainers

How do I report a bug?

Open a GitHub Issue with:

  • Description of the bug
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs actual behavior
  • Environment details

How do I request a feature?

Open a GitHub Issue with the "enhancement" label.

Performance

How many tickets can this handle?

Depends on:

  • Server resources
  • Database configuration
  • Indexing strategy
  • Caching implementation

With proper setup, thousands of tickets.

How do I improve performance?

  • Add database indexes
  • Implement pagination
  • Use caching
  • Enable compression
  • Use CDN for static assets

Integration

Can I integrate with other services?

Yes, you can add custom integrations by:

  • Adding new controllers
  • Using webhooks
  • API calls to other services

Can I use this with existing systems?

Yes, via API endpoints. See API Documentation.

Updates

How do I update to the latest version?

git pull origin main
npm install
pm2 restart nexus

Will updates break my data?

No, database schema is backward compatible. Always backup before updating.

How often is this updated?

As needed for bug fixes and features. Check GitHub for release history.

Miscellaneous

Can I change the theme?

Yes, edit the CSS in public/index.html.

Can I add custom fields to tickets?

Yes, modify the Ticket model in models/Ticket.js.

Is there an admin panel?

Not currently, but you can build one using the API.

Can I export tickets?

Yes, via API or directly from MongoDB.

Can I import tickets from other systems?

Yes, create a script to import via API or directly to MongoDB.

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