Chef-server 12.5 install failing at user-configure step

I have been following the instructions for installing 12.5 at:

https://docs.chef.io/install_server_ha_drbd.html

When I get to the point of installing the front end primary server, I am seeing the following in the /var/log/opscode/opscode-erchef/crash.log:

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

2016-06-10 14:59:07 =ERROR REPORT====
Could not start the network driver: econnrefused
2016-06-10 14:59:07 =ERROR REPORT====
** Generic server <0.1711.0> terminating
** Last message in was connect
** When Server state == {state,<0.1709.0>,{amqp_params,<<“actions”>>,<<“3dcfa1bde033f08ba295e8bc9ac96734084d8da2153d4432ffa82d9a503fdbfcfa9267c63c1442dd5a9672a30349dda34313”>>,<<"/analytics">>,{192,168,232,38},5672,0,0,0,none,[]},undefined,undefined,undefined,undefined,undefined,undefined,<0.1710.0>,false,undefined,{{0,nil},{dict,0,16,16,8,80,48,{[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[]},{{[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[],[]}}}},undefined,#Fun<amqp_connection_sup.0.94524864>}
** Reason for termination ==
** {econnrefused,[{amqp_network_connection,do_connect,1,[{file,"/var/cache/omnibus/src/oc_erchef/_build/default/lib/amqp_client/src/amqp_network_connection.erl"},{line,337}]},{amqp_network_connection,handle_call,3,[{file,"/var/cache/omnibus/src/oc_erchef/_build/default/lib/amqp_client/src/amqp_network_connection.erl"},{line,93}]},{gen_server,try_handle_call,4,[{file,“gen_server.erl”},{line,607}]},{gen_server,handle_msg,5,[{file,“gen_server.erl”},{line,639}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,“proc_lib.erl”},{line,237}]}]}
2016-06-10 14:59:07 =CRASH REPORT====
crasher:
initial call: amqp_network_connection:init/1
pid: <0.1711.0>
registered_name: []
exception exit: {econnrefused,[{gen_server,terminate,7,[{file,“gen_server.erl”},{line,804}]},{proc_lib,init_p_do_apply,3,[{file,“proc_lib.erl”},{line,237}]}]}
ancestors: [<0.1709.0>,gen_bunny_mon,gen_bunny_sup,<0.1534.0>]
messages: []
links: [<0.1709.0>]
dictionary: []
trap_exit: false
status: running
heap_size: 987
stack_size: 27
reductions: 557
neighbours:
2016-06-10 14:59:07 =SUPERVISOR REPORT====
Supervisor: {<0.1709.0>,amqp_connection_sup}
Context: child_terminated
Reason: econnrefused
Offender: [{pid,<0.1711.0>},{name,connection},{mfa,{amqp_network_connection,start_link,[{amqp_params,<<“actions”>>,<<“3dcfa1bde033f08ba295e8bc9ac96734084d8da2153d4432ffa82d9a503fdbfcfa9267c63c1442dd5a9672a30349dda34313”>>,<<"/analytics">>,{192,168,232,38},5672,0,0,0,none,[]},<0.1710.0>,#Fun<amqp_connection_sup.0.94524864>]}},{restart_type,intrinsic},{shutdown,brutal_kill},{child_type,worker}]

2016-06-10 14:59:07 =SUPERVISOR REPORT====
Supervisor: {<0.1709.0>,amqp_connection_sup}
Context: shutdown
Reason: reached_max_restart_intensity
Offender: [{pid,<0.1711.0>},{name,connection},{mfa,{amqp_network_connection,start_link,[{amqp_params,<<“actions”>>,<<“3dcfa1bde033f08ba295e8bc9ac96734084d8da2153d4432ffa82d9a503fdbfcfa9267c63c1442dd5a9672a30349dda34313”>>,<<"/analytics">>,{192,168,232,38},5672,0,0,0,none,[]},<0.1710.0>,#Fun<amqp_connection_sup.0.94524864>]}},{restart_type,intrinsic},{shutdown,brutal_kill},{child_type,worker}]

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

It repeats many many times…

if I try the chef-server-ctl user-create I get the following:

[root@wil-vct01 opscode-erchef]# chef-server-ctl user-create c Randall V*** r******@.com ‘pass123’ --filename /home/c/c*****.pem
ERROR: Server returned error 503 for hp://127.0.0.1/users/, retrying 1/5 in 3s
ERROR: Server returned error 503 for h
p://127.0.0.1/users/, retrying 2/5 in 8s
ERROR: Server returned error 503 for hp://127.0.0.1/users/, retrying 3/5 in 14s
ERROR: Server returned error 503 for h
p://127.0.0.1/users/, retrying 4/5 in 17s
ERROR: Server returned error 503 for h**p://127.0.0.1/users/, retrying 5/5 in 44s
ERROR: Service temporarily unavailable
Response: 503 - Service Unavailable: Sorry, we are unavailable right now. Please try again later.

I have tried repeatedly uninstalling and reinstalling from the backend forward and this is where i get blocked.

Thanks!!