[font="Arial"]I like the ski slope analogy.

Perhaps a server could be a chairlift, or even better; the mountain.

The Database is a gondola, or classic chair-lift.

On your ride up, you can...

I'd like to be able to step into the world of my servers.

Take a stroll through the database, walk around checking up on the tables.

Looking at it from inside...

LOL. April Fools, eh?

Anathem was tough to wrap my mind around.

I loved Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and am reading Seveneves now.

If you liked Snow Crash you should check out Cryptonomicon or Anathem.

Stephenson is great.

plesiosynchronously