Node cartridge connection error with Mongodb cartridge in openshift

Question

I tried a lot but am not able to get node to connect to Mongo in a simple mean app in the openshift node cartridge talking to the mongo cartridge. All goes fine but the application errors out (service temporarily unavailable error) if you go to the URL.

I have used proper environment variables and if I ssh to the instance and connect to mongo locally or run node server at the app root, all works fine.

But if I git push it, the build, deploy etc works fine but when I go to the application URL it gives an error. Please help. Not sure what the problem is since the code works fine locally and on the openshift server in the repo directory using 'node server' at command line.

==============================
    **server.js**
    =========
    #!/bin/env node
    //  OpenShift sample Node application

    process.env.NODE_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';

    // Load the module dependencies
    var mongoose = require('./config/mongoose'),
        express = require('./config/express'),
        passport = require('./config/passport');



    // Create a new Mongoose connection instance
    var db = mongoose();

    // Create a new Express application instance
    var app = express();

    // Configure the Passport middleware
    var passport = passport();

    var ipaddress = process.env.OPENSHIFT_NODEJS_IP || 'localhost';
    var port      = process.env.OPENSHIFT_NODEJS_PORT || 8080;

    app.listen(port, ipaddress, function() {
                console.log('%s: Node server started on %s:%d ...',
                            Date(Date.now() ), ipaddress, port);
            });

    // Use the module.exports property to expose our Express application instance for external usage
    module.exports = app;

    ===========================

    development.js
    ==============
    // Invoke 'strict' JavaScript mode
    'use strict';


    var dbDefault = process.env.OPENSHIFT_MONGODB_DB_URL + process.env.OPENSHIFT_APP_NAME  || 'mongodb://localhost:27017/someapp'; 

    // Set the 'development' environment configuration object
    module.exports = {
        db : dbDefault ,
        sessionSecret: 'developmentSessionSecret'
    };


     ================================

    mongoose.js
    ===========

    // Invoke 'strict' JavaScript mode
    'use strict';

    // Load the module dependencies
    var config = require('./config'),
        mongoose = require('mongoose');

    // Define the Mongoose configuration method
    module.exports = function() {
        // Use Mongoose to connect to MongoDB 

        var db = mongoose.connect(config.db);


        // Load the application models 
        require('../app/core/models/user.server.model');



        // Return the Mongoose connection instance
        return db;
    };
    ===========================



    logs - node
    Error: connect ECONNREFUSED
        at errnoException (net.js:901:11)
        at Object.afterConnect [as oncomplete] (net.js:892:19)
    DEBUG: Program node server.js exited with code 8
    DEBUG: Starting child process with 'node server.js'