Failed Database Connection between OpenShift Server and Mlab.com? - node.js

Question

I'm hoping to host a node.js server at OpenShift, utilizing a MongoDB database hosted at mlab.com (the new version of mongolab.com) Here's a pretty straight forward tutorial. According to that tutorial, things seem pretty straight forward. That tutorial may be a bit dated, but seems to have been targeted directly for my application (less the update from Mongolab --> mlab) I've used Mongolab in the past and they provide a great service.
So I've built my database. I've written my node code and tested it from local host, where it works great. Yes there are a few lines of difference, but not much. I'm using the same git directory as I'm pushing to OpenShift. The code is pretty straight forward.
databaseUrl = 'mongodb://UserNameHere:PasswordHere#ds012345.mlab.com:12345/DataBaseName';
if (process.env.MLAB_URI) {
databaseUrl = process.env.MLAB_URI;
}
MongoClient.connect(databaseUrl, function(err, db) {
assert.equal(null, err, "Database Connection Troubles: " + err);
test process.env.MLAB_URI from my terminal after a RHC login.
[ABC-XYZ.rhcloud.com xxxxxxxxxxx]\> echo $MLAB_URI
mongodb://<username>:<password>#ds012345.mlab.com:12345/DataBaseName
[ABC-XYZ.rhcloud.com xxxxxxxxxxx]\> echo $OPENSHIFT_REPO_DIR
/var/lib/openshift/xxxxxxxxxxxx/app-root/runtime/repo/
Test with $, use in code with process.env. call. Obviously I've changed my username, password and Openshift server identification, but I've checked and there appear to be no spelling errors. I get the same fail on openshift if I don't use the MLAB_URI environment variable. It's like the connection from the OpenShift server is shut off.
Mlab does provide some tools to verify the connection to a MongoDB there. Here's link to the Mlab assist stuff. I can ping the mlab location from a RHC login and it works just fine. Unfortunately I'm unable to do the % netcat -w 3 -v ds012345.mlab.com 12345 test. That tool (netcat / nc) isn't available at OpenShift.
Again, this thing works fine when I run my node file.js from my local host. I can see data being deposited at the mlab server. It fails if I run from Openshift, with a
throw err ^
AssertionError: Database Connection Troubles: MongoError: auth failed
The code works fine if I use a MongoDB cartridge in the same gear at OpenShift. Unfortunately I've got a few different servers at different locations that are all sharing information. Anybody know what's going on here?
Update: I've done some additional testing from a terminal with RHC login to OpenShift.
[ABC-XYZ.rhcloud.com xxxxxxxxxxx]\> mongo ds012345.mlab.com:12345/dbName -u <dbuser> -p <password>;
MongoDB shell version: 2.4.9
connecting to: 127.6.xyz.xyz:27017/admin
Fri Mar 11 04:14:52.770 Error: 18 { code: 18, ok: 0.0, errmsg: "auth fails" } at src/mongo/shell/db.js:228
exception: login failed
The one surprise is that connecting to: url:27017/admin line... I'd like to understand that better. Stay tuned.

Answer 1

Update for anybody else who may get here. I submitted a support request to mlab. I received an immediate response (Awesome support!)
You'll need to upgrade your mongo shell version to 3.0+ in order to
connect and authenticate to an mLab Sandbox database server. It looks
like version 2.4.9 is being used.
So I was definitely using mongo shell version 3.0 from my localhost. I have little control # OpenShift for that command line feature.. But whoa... Let's not forget the big picture here. I'm really trying to use my node server to contact mlab via a var MongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient; connect call. Let's make the same check. Do I have the latest version of mongodb listed in my package.json file? Oops..
Easy fix. Update package.json to require a newer version of mongodb. Success at OpenShift. Yipee!