Hadoop Hardware Inquiry

[Chris Bates <ch...@gmail.com>]

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