[rabbitmq-discuss] newbie problem--'Error: unable to connect to node 'rabbit at rabbitmq-small02-dev': nodedown'

[John Stoner]

OK, I realize this is probably a very basic thing, but I've been
googling and screwing around with this for hours and getting nowhere.

I'm trying to set up my first rabbitmq cluster. I have it installed
fine on two ec2 hosts, and I'm trying to get one to cluster with the
other. I've tried the instructions at

http://www.rabbitmq.com/clustering.html

and I keep getting

Error: unable to connect to node 'rabbit at rabbitmq-small02-dev':
nodedown
diagnostics:
- nodes and their ports on rabbitmq-small02-dev: [{rabbit,57641},
 
{rabbitmqctl12928,46801}]
- current node: 'rabbitmqctl12928 at rabbitmq-small02-dev'
- current node home dir: /var/lib/rabbitmq
- current node cookie hash: 4IHR1JMCSCh55g/tisBydg==

So I found more detailed instructions on skaag.net, which seems to be
down, but I can get the google-cached instructions at

<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?
q=cache:pl1EhJadjJoJ:www.skaag.net/2010/03/12/rabbitmq-for-beginners/
+howto+set+up+a+rabbitmq+cluster&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1>

So, I install (actually re-install) a fresh, up to date rabbitmq on
the second machine, according to the instructions for ec2.

Then I go through the instructions.

I stop the server:
[jstoner at rabbitmq-small02-dev]> service rabbitmq-server stop
Stopping rabbitmq-server: RabbitMQ is not running
rabbitmq-server.

I change the cookie to the same as the other one:
[jstoner at rabbitmq-small02-dev]> sudo su
root at rabbitmq-small02-dev:/home/jstoner/rclient# echo -n [cookie-text]
> /var/lib/rabbitmq/.erlang.cookie
root at rabbitmq-small02-dev:/home/jstoner/rclient# exit
exit

I try to restart:
[jstoner at rabbitmq-small02-dev]> sudo service rabbitmq-server start
Starting rabbitmq-server: FAILED - check /var/log/rabbitmq/
startup_{log, _err}
rabbitmq-server.

I look at the logs they mention:
[jstoner at rabbitmq-small02-dev]> more /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_log
Activating RabbitMQ plugins ...

********************************************************************************
********************************************************************************

0 plugins activated:

node with name "rabbit" already running on "rabbitmq-small02-dev"
diagnostics:
- nodes and their ports on rabbitmq-small02-dev: [{rabbit,57641},
 
{rabbitmqctl12869,39028},
 
{rabbitmqprelaunch12879,
                                                   37230}]
- current node: 'rabbitmqprelaunch12879 at rabbitmq-small02-dev'
- current node home dir: /var/lib/rabbitmq
- current node cookie hash: 4IHR1JMCSCh55g/tisBydg==
[jstoner at rabbitmq-small02-dev]> more /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_err
[empty file]

That tells me nothing I can make sense of. So I see what happens if I
try the next step:
[jstoner at rabbitmq-small02-dev]> sudo rabbitmqctl stop_app
Stopping node 'rabbit at rabbitmq-small02-dev' ...
Error: unable to connect to node 'rabbit at rabbitmq-small02-dev':
nodedown
diagnostics:
- nodes and their ports on rabbitmq-small02-dev: [{rabbit,57641},
 
{rabbitmqctl12928,46801}]
- current node: 'rabbitmqctl12928 at rabbitmq-small02-dev'
- current node home dir: /var/lib/rabbitmq
- current node cookie hash: [hashtext]

And I get the same kind of problem I got on the first set of
instructions. Any ideas would be much appreciated.