What computer configuration to assemble for home virtualization?

Question

Computers

Good afternoon, please advise at home for experiments with virtual machines, what is better to pay attention to?

Virtualization goals:

1) Development of a three-tier architecture of Oracle DBMS + Application Server + client
2) Installing and configuring Oracle DataBase on OS Oracle Linux
3) Creation of RAC
4) Implementation of backup: RMAN and Standby technologies + cold copies

I plan to use Oracle VM

Answer 1

1. Calculate the maximum amount of memory that will be occupied by simultaneously running virtual machines, add the amount of memory to the host OS. For example,
1.1 if the OS host is Windows 2012 - 1 Gb,
1.2 Oracle 12c - 2 Gb, if RAC means two instances in two virtual machines (4Gb)
1.3 Weblogic AS - 2 Gb
Total 5 (7 for RAC) Gb minimum, the applications themselves in WLS, they may require a few more gigabytes, as a result of RAM from 8Gb, if funds allow, immediately 16GB
2. The processor must support x86 virtualization technologies (at least VT-x, even better VT-d) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization
As a budget option, Corei5 is suitable, if the budget allows - Corei7. AMD is acceptable, but there may be solvable problems with it. Intel - more expensive, but less problems (for example, running Mac OS in a virtual machine).
3. HDD is better to take two. The first is a small 60-80 Gb SSD, which will provide just comfortable work, instant (compared to a conventional HDD) start of the OS and other programs. If you take an SSD from 120Gb, then one virtulka with Oracle RDBMS will also fit on it, which works very quickly on an SSD. Intel SSD is reliable and expensive, for other manufacturers - see the failure statistics, which you can ask right in the store.
The second HDD is the most capacitive for 1 ruble of the price, because virtual machine images easily weigh both 20 and 120, and if you take a snapshot, then all 200 Gb. There is not enough money for such SSDs.
4. Any video, it doesn't matter for virtual machines. For convenience, I would advise that the video has the ability to connect two monitors - when working with 2 or 3 virtual machines at the same time - this is convenient.
5. Motherboard - for the processor, it would be better if there were at least 4 slots for memory. In order to be able to expand up to 32 GB in the future. Oracle is hungry for memory, WLS too. USB 3.0 ports are desirable, for example, for connecting an external HDD in order to transfer the virtual machine to another machine. In principle, you can pick up a good budget option from Asus (like the ASUS B85M-G).
6. Network and sound - built into the motherboard will do.

Answer 2

With a normal processor and disk (preferably SSD), add RAM to taste

Answer 3

better to pay attention to something different from virtualbox

Answer 4

Describe what you are going to twist there, they will tell you more
ssd is completely optional, especially since the machine is a test one, a regular hdd is suitable for both the host and guests.