Okay, you're talking about the inability of an idiot AA-hire admin, not an end-user, to manipulate the data. I didn't pick up anything about a VP end-user trying to do this.
You're talking about taking data from diverse sources, manipulate it, and regurgitate it in a usable form. This is difficult even if you're working with databases all running on Windows platforms. The best tools to do these tasks might very well run on a Windows workstation, but as far as I can tell from your story doesn't have much to do with Linux.
You don't indicate whether your organization took time to actually train anyone on any of these platforms... perhaps you're expected to pick up Linux / Unix / whatever expertise by magic?
You're talking about SCO. If you're running an old copy of SCO Linux you need to get current (think "DOS 6.2 vs Win2K3"). My hunch is that you're running SCO's UNIX? Poor basards.
My world would throw you for a loop, just as you think that yours would baffle me. Every day I get dropped into a new environment, mostly with no documentation and precious few clues as to how things are supposed to work. I don't get the luxury of perfecting one client, and then sitting back and watching it run. As you think that I can't handle your world, I'm pretty sure you couldn't handle mine.
This isn’t about me doing your work, and I never the converse. It’s only about your original question, and my reply.
You asked what users care “what goes on in the server room”? I said power users and explained how. You didn’t understand so I gave and instance of a business analysts and explained in more detail.
When there aren’t enough of you to go around, or when those available get so focused on the technical parts of their jobs that communication with them becomes as difficult as our conversation, management finds ways to get jobs done without them. And that sometimes requires dipping their toes into “what goes on in the server room”. That’s all I’m saying, nothing more.
I’m sure I can’t “handle” your job. I know Unix interfaces have improved, but I’m sure they’re still a bigger hurdle for power users coming up from the windows world to manage than windows servers. And even though many of those people also juggle changing responsibilities with little time for thorough cross platform training, I’m sure it’s worth the effort in some cases and not it others. I’ve got to go now.