Support for GitHub Enterprise

Completed

This unit explains the enhanced support options available with GitHub Enterprise and outlines key responsibilities of administrators when working with GitHub Support. You'll apply this knowledge whether you're using GitHub Enterprise Server (self-hosted) or GitHub Enterprise Cloud (hosted by GitHub).

Support Availability

Availability	GitHub Enterprise Support	Premium & Premium Plus Support
Days of operation	Monday–Friday	Every day
Initial response (High-level issues)	Within 8 hours	Within 4 hours
Initial response (Urgent-level issues)	Within 8 hours	Within 30 minutes

Premium and Premium Plus Support customers receive additional benefits, including priority handling and dedicated technical guidance.

Distinguishing Administrator Duties from GitHub Support

Knowing whether an issue should be handled internally or escalated to GitHub Support can reduce downtime and improve resolution time.

Issue	Solved by Administrator	Requires GitHub Support
Managing repository access	✅	❌
Removing sensitive data from commits	✅	❌
Restoring deleted branches	✅ (if recent)	❌
Recovering deleted repositories	❌	✅ (within 90 days)
Account recovery (lost access, compromised account)	❌	✅
Billing & subscription issues	❌	✅
Takedown requests (DMCA, copyright violations)	❌	✅
Restoring force-pushed commits	❌	✅ (in limited cases)
Clearing caches after history rewriting	❌	✅

Administrative Scope of Support

GitHub Support typically assists with issues across three areas: accounts, security, and abuse. Your internal administrators handle tasks related to infrastructure, internal tools, or external authentication.

• Account Issues: By verifying identity and restoring access, support helps resolve account access issues, such as lost two-factor authentication credentials.
• Security Incidents: GitHub Support can help mitigate damage from compromised accounts, roll back repository changes, and assist with security recovery.
• Abuse Cases: Support investigates violations of GitHub’s terms, such as harassment or inappropriate content, and can remove users or content as needed.

Note

Administrators are responsible for infrastructure configuration, CI/CD integrations, third-party auth systems (like SAML), internal scripting, hardware setup, and immediate on-prem issue resolution.

Creating and Prioritizing Support Tickets

Use the GitHub Support portal with a support-entitled account to submit tickets.

Include the following:

• Steps to reproduce the issue
• Context (e.g., first occurrence, frequency, business impact)
• Error messages (verbatim)

GitHub Support Priority Levels

Priority	Description	Typical Response Time
🟢 Low	General inquiries, feature requests	24–48 hours
🟡 Medium	Technical issues affecting users	12–24 hours
🔴 High	Major bugs or service impact	Few hours
🚨 Critical	Security, account lockout, billing	Immediate

Submitting Support Bundles and Diagnostics

Support bundles and diagnostic files provide vital information about your GitHub Enterprise Server instance and are essential for effective troubleshooting.

What’s Included in a Support Bundle?

• Application logs
• System diagnostics (CPU, memory, disk)
• Configuration settings
• Network errors and backups
• Replication details (if applicable)

Generating Support Bundles

Using the Management Console

1. Log in to Management Console.
2. Go to Support > Support Bundles.
3. Click Create and Download Support Bundle.
   Download starts automatically once generated.

Using the Command Line

ssh admin@your-ghes-instance
ghe-support-bundle -o /path/to/directory/

Locate the .tar.gz file in the specified directory.

Uploading Support Bundles Securely

Once you've created a bundle:

Option 1: Secure Upload Link (Recommended)

1. Submit a ticket via the Support Portal and indicate the need to share a bundle.
2. GitHub Support will provide a one-time, secure upload link.

Option 2: Alternative Methods

• Encrypted Email: Encrypt bundle using 7-Zip or PGP; send file and password separately.
• Secure Cloud Storage: Use services like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox with access restrictions.
• Physical Transfer: For large bundles, GitHub may provide a mailing address.

You can also upload support bundles from within the GitHub Enterprise UI:

1. Select your enterprise under Your Enterprises.
2. Go to Settings > Enterprise Licensing.
3. Select Upload a Support Bundle in the Help section.

---

Resolving and Closing Tickets

GitHub Premium Support may mark tickets as solved after providing a fix, workaround, or recommendation.

A ticket may be closed if:

• It’s outside the scope of support.
• Repeated follow-ups go unanswered.

If your ticket is closed due to inactivity, you can request to reopen it.