Thanks for all the info. I'm not looking to spend a whole bunch of money. I also have no experience with anything outside of some basic to intermediate IT skills. I'm a software developer currently but the DB side of things are way more interesting to me. I am currently taking a SQL Server class to get the Microsoft certification. I am doing this because its the only way I could get my work to pay for it since we use SQL Server. I am mainly trying to get as much information as I can to do the research. I also want something to play around with that isnt going to cost a fortune and that I can actually take advantage of as a home server or something.

If there are any books that you recommend or really anything you have to offer is greatly appreciated. Thank you!