RESOLVED - we restrict GUI clients and even though we had the vRA server as an authorized/trusted client it still was not working. Based on logs showing the connection to the api connecting from 127.0.0.1 we updated the trusted clients list to include the management server.
PROBLEM -
we are running vRA 7.5. when attempting to "configure management server", I enter the mgmt IP, username and password, click submit, then i get this log ouput...
[2018-12-06 11:39:16.381] [E] Error in (Workflow:(CP) Login / Check status code (item0)#1) SyntaxError: Unexpected token: <
[2018-12-06 11:39:16.393] [E] Workflow execution stack:
***
item: '(CP) Login/item0', state: 'failed', business state: 'null', exception: 'SyntaxError: Unexpected token: < (Workflow:(CP) Login / Check status code (item0)#1)'
workflow: '(CP) Configure Management Server' (f6ac4715-5c42-47ac-b6b6-69e670277333)
| 'attribute': name=restHost type=REST:RESTHost value=dunes://service.dunes.ch/CustomSDKObject?id='46e1b0d1-4907-4429-aa3d-60f0917c1c3f'&dunesName='REST:RESTHost'
| 'attribute': name=elements type=string value=
| 'attribute': name=wfToken type=WorkflowToken value=__NULL__
| 'attribute': name=timerDate type=Date value=20181206113916-0500
| 'attribute': name=url type=string value=https://10.224.96.75:443
| 'attribute': name=ignoreWarnings type=boolean value=true
| 'input': name=username type=string value=api
| 'input': name=password type=SecureString value=__NULL__
| 'input': name=mgmtIP type=string value=10.224.96.75
| 'no outputs'