ruby on rails - getaddrinfo: nodename nor servname provided, or not known

Question

I have a Ruby on Rails application that I am deploying on a computer running Mac OS X 10.6. The code where the problem arises is run by a delayed_job. The problem only occurs when it is run through delayed_job. If I run it within a console (rails console production) or call the API directly through cURL, it works without any problems. Also, the entire process works without issue in my development environment.

Basically, the code works in one place, but for some reason, fails where it has to work. I've searched and found a few resources, but none of the suggestions apply or make any difference. When I log into the server and run the commands, everything works. But for some reason when they are run/started by Capistrano, it doesn't work.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Important notes:

• Ruby version: 1.9.2-p0
• Rails version: 3.0.1
• delayed_job version: latest (from collectiveidea/delayed_job)
• rest-client version: 1.6.1

Code:

class CallApi < Struct.new(:num)
  def perform
    log "Entering perform"
    apinum = num || 5
    log "ApiNum = #{apinum}"
    results = attempt(2,10) do
      ActiveSupport::JSON.decode(RestClient.get(API_URL, {:params => {:apinum => apinum}}))
    end
    log "Results retrieved. (count: #{results.count})"
  end

  def log(message)
    Delayed::Worker.logger.info "[CallApi] #{Time.now} - #{message}"
  end
end

Environment Config (note: the url is fake, but of the same form as the real one):

API_URL = "http://api.example.org/api_endpoint"
# Originally, I had "http://" before the beginning, but found a
# post mentioning that Net::Http.start didn't like that.
# So I tried it both ways.
# The same error occurs regardless of if the "http://" is there.

Call where the error happens:

RestClient.get(API_URL, {:params => {:apinum => apinum}})

Error:

getaddrinfo: nodename nor servname provided, or not known
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/http.rb:644:in `initialize'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/http.rb:644:in `open'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/http.rb:644:in `block in connect'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/timeout.rb:44:in `timeout'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/timeout.rb:87:in `timeout'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/http.rb:644:in `connect'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/http.rb:637:in `do_start'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/http.rb:626:in `start'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/rest-client-1.6.1/lib/restclient/request.rb:166:in `transmit'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/rest-client-1.6.1/lib/restclient/request.rb:60:in `execute'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/rest-client-1.6.1/lib/restclient/request.rb:31:in `execute'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/rest-client-1.6.1/lib/restclient.rb:68:in `get'
/private/var/www/project-gemset/releases/20101109002137/lib/call_api.rb:7:in `block in perform'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/attempt-0.2.0/lib/attempt.rb:70:in `attempt'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/attempt-0.2.0/lib/attempt.rb:114:in `attempt'
/private/var/www/project-gemset/releases/20101109002137/lib/call_api.rb:6:in `perform'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/backend/base.rb:77:in `invoke_job'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:118:in `block (2 levels) in run'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/timeout.rb:57:in `timeout'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:118:in `block in run'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/benchmark.rb:309:in `realtime'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:117:in `run'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:176:in `reserve_and_run_one_job'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:102:in `block in work_off'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:101:in `times'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:101:in `work_off'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:76:in `block (2 levels) in start'
/Users/api/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p0/lib/ruby/1.9.1/benchmark.rb:309:in `realtime'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:75:in `block in start'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:72:in `loop'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/worker.rb:72:in `start'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/command.rb:100:in `run'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/command.rb:79:in `block in run_process'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application.rb:250:in `call'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application.rb:250:in `block in start_proc'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/daemonize.rb:199:in `call'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/daemonize.rb:199:in `call_as_daemon'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application.rb:254:in `start_proc'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application.rb:294:in `start'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application_group.rb:159:in `block (2 levels) in start_all'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application_group.rb:158:in `fork'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application_group.rb:158:in `block in start_all'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application_group.rb:157:in `each'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/application_group.rb:157:in `start_all'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/controller.rb:80:in `run'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons.rb:193:in `block in run_proc'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/cmdline.rb:112:in `call'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons/cmdline.rb:112:in `catch_exceptions'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/gems/daemons-1.1.0/lib/daemons.rb:192:in `run_proc'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/command.rb:78:in `run_process'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/command.rb:72:in `block in daemonize'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/command.rb:70:in `times'
/Users/api/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p0@project-gemset/bundler/gems/delayed_job-aba9905764c2/lib/delayed/command.rb:70:in `daemonize'
script/delayed_job:5:in `'

Answer 1

The error occurs when the DNS resolution fails. Check if you can wget (or curl) the api url from the command line. Changing the DNS server and testing it might help.