This is slightly off-topic, but our Hadoop + Hive usage is growing at our company and we're feeling the need to start adding more hardware. I've been tasked with trying to figure out what other groups use. I haven't really followed up on what hardware is out there mostly because my needs have been satisfied for the past couple years. We mostly use a cluster of 6 machines (1TB total), but these are typically for other uses (personal workstations).
What would you all recommend? We're looking to get by as cheaply as possible, but not sure if its a better route to add regular dedicated workstations or invest in a rack. Any good specs? I really don't know anything about optimal motherboards or whatnot. We'll probably be getting tons of storage. I would appreciate any help! Chris