I was hoping to get the viewpoints from others in our industry as a good starting point.
I have a project right now that when finished, will have multiple servers (4-5) running separate databases that make up the security/wireless network infrastructure for the building. I see this as the perfect opportunity to get into virtualizing my machines. I've always wanted/thought it necessary to learn this, but realistically, I've typically only supplied up to two servers at a time (access control/video management) so it just didn't make sense before now.
While I'm eager to learn and present this to the client, I've been trying to do some research so I don't overanalyze or over/undersell the various system's needs. With all the information available, I found vmware's free vSphere Hypervisor may be the place to start. My needs are pretty simple:
1. One rackmount in-house server for virtualization.
2. Ability to have 4-5 separate virtual machines running simultaneously (Linux and Windows).
3. Ability to set each virtual machine to a separate VLAN.
4. Video management server will not be included as I've left this on a separate machine.
I do plan on using a PC and set up a test environment to give me a better understanding, but if any of you utilize this on a regular basis, I'm hoping you can answer a few questions:
1. Is the vmware vSphere Hypervisor a good starting point (free being the driver)?
2. Are there any hidden costs associated based on my general needs?
3. Will the free version of this product perform all basic operation functions?
4. Are there any issues to be concerned with?
5. What is the best way to calculate physical hardware needs (like an online calculator)?
Application hardware requirements within each machine (besides the OS) are small, separation is what is most valued. Thoughts on the questions above or your general opinions are appreciated. Thank you.