Whoa! That's way more information than I'd even hoped for! Thank you very much for a peek into a world I know next to nothing about.

I confess: my first impression is that it sounds painful. From a Unixy point of view, it seems like a heavy layer on top of some processes that just pipe information around in a needlessly complex way. I also admit this is due to my own ignorance of the matter. Lots of huge shops like what you're describing, so I'm sure there's something to it.

I know I'm not the first person to say this, but I really wish there were a way I could play with a modern system without investing lots of money or time into the experience. I don't know what I'm missing, and I'd like to find out.

Hope you feel better soon!