Connect failed to database

1 Mar 2015


      I have dovecot version 2.2.10
dovecot -n output below
I am seeing connection errors being written to my dovecot error log:
Mar  1 19:51:15 mail dovecot: auth-worker(2224): Error: mysql(localhost): Connect failed to database (servermail): Access denied for user 'usermail'@'localhost' (using password: YES) - waiting for 5 seconds before retry
My connection script located at /etc/dovecot/dovecot-sql.conf.ext is like (password edited):
driver = mysql
connect = host=localhost dbname=servermail user='usermail' password='MY_SUPER_SECRET_PASSWORD'
default_pass_scheme = SHA512-CRYPT
password_query = SELECT email as user, password FROM virtual_users WHERE email='%u';
I have verified that I can gain access to the SQL database with
# mysql -u usermail -p
I can make select statements on the 'servermail' database and all of its tables.
I've searched for similar errors from users, but most of the questions are unanswered, or answered incorrectly.
I did follow one thread's suggest of setting the MYSQL password for the 'usermail' with OLD_PASSWORD instead of PASSWORD. I did that. I could still login from the shell using
mysql -u usermail -p
But dovecot still wrote the same error. (I did a flush privileges, and restarted mysql, and dovecot)
I then set the password in SQL back using PASSWORD. (flush'd priveleges and restarte mysql and dovecot). Still Errors.
Looking for leads.
Thanks,
Dan LaSota
Instructional Designer, UAF eLearning
(907) 451-4067
dan.lasota@alaska.edu
http://elearning.uaf.edu
dovecot -n
# 2.2.10: /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
# OS: Linux 3.10.0-123.20.1.el7.x86_64 x86_64 CentOS Linux release 7.0.1406 (Core)  xfs
auth_debug = yes
auth_mechanisms = plain login
auth_verbose = yes
auth_verbose_passwords = plain
mail_debug = yes
mail_location = maildir:/var/mail/vhosts/%d/%n
mail_privileged_group = mail
mbox_write_locks = fcntl
namespace inbox {
inbox = yes
location =
mailbox Drafts {
special_use = \Drafts
}
mailbox Junk {
special_use = \Junk
}
mailbox Sent {
special_use = \Sent
}
mailbox "Sent Messages" {
special_use = \Sent
}
mailbox Trash {
special_use = \Trash
}
prefix =
}
passdb {
args = /etc/dovecot/dovecot-sql.conf.ext
driver = sql
}
protocols = imap lmtp
service auth-worker {
user = vmail
}
service auth {
unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/auth {
group = postfix
mode = 0666
user = postfix
}
unix_listener auth-userdb {
mode = 0600
user = vmail
}
user = dovecot
}
service imap-login {
inet_listener imap {
port = 0
}
}
service lmtp {
unix_listener /var/spool/postfix/private/dovecot-lmtp {
group = postfix
mode = 0600
user = postfix
}
}
ssl = required
ssl_cert =