I know this question has been asked a million times already, but I just got management to approve funding for a test lab so I can get POC before going virtual next year. The budget is ~$3,000, which pretty much means buying used hardware off a certain auction website--I'm fine with that, though.
The proposed scenario I'm looking to test is 3 nodes with vSAN/vSphere installed underneath Server2012R2 Standard. I also want to trial HyperV, but I figure any setup that handles vSAN/vSphere will do HyperV just fine.
My favored option right now is a Dell C6100, which gives me 4 node in one package at a good price, but I know some people here have had good luck with HP Proliant servers as well. Mostly I want to avoid any unnecessary hassle due to lack of drivers, incompatible hardware etc. as much as possible.
I look forward to your thoughts on...
