Why installation of a new kernel package on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 install bfa-firmware package as dependency ?

Environment

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
• kernel
• bfa-firmware

Issue

• Why does the installation of a new kernel package on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 install bfa-firmware package as dependency even if the system does not have a Brocade Fibre Channel HBA ?
  Eg:

# lspci |grep -i HBA

# grep -i HBA /var/log/dmesg

# yum install kernel
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kernel.x86_64 0:2.6.32-358.14.1.el6 will be installed
--> Processing Dependency: kernel-firmware >= 2.6.32-358.14.1.el6 for package: kernel-2.6.32-358.14.1.el6.x86_64
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kernel-firmware.noarch 0:2.6.32-279.19.1.el6 will be updated
---> Package kernel-firmware.noarch 0:2.6.32-358.14.1.el6 will be an update
--> Processing Conflict: kernel-2.6.32-358.14.1.el6.x86_64 conflicts bfa-firmware < 3.0.3.1
--> Restarting Dependency Resolution with new changes.
--> Running transaction check
---> Package bfa-firmware.noarch 0:3.0.0.0-1.el6 will be updated
---> Package bfa-firmware.noarch 0:3.0.3.1-1.el6 will be an update
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
--> Running transaction check
---> Package kernel.x86_64 0:2.6.32-220.17.1.el6 will be erased
--> Finished Dependency Resolution

Resolution

• The installation of "kernel" package does not require a "bfa-firmware" package.
• To see if bfa-firmware package is actually required on that system, use the command:

# rpm -q --whatrequires bfa-firmware

• If no package requires it, then it can be removed with:

# rpm -e bfa-firmware

• If it is required by some package, then it will be upgraded to the new version with the new kernel package.

Root Cause

• Starting from kernel-2.6.32-358.el6 (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Update 4 GA), the dependency of the kernel has changed a bit. If "bfa-firmware" is already installed on the system, then it has to be above a certain version with the new kernel package. Please also update the bfa-firmware package with the version 3.0.3.1 or above, as the dependency is listed as below:

Conflicts:
  bfa-firmware < 3.0.3.1

Diagnostic Steps

• Check whether bfa-firmware package is already installed on the system.
  Eg:

# rpm -q bfa-firmware
bfa-firmware-3.0.0.0-1.el6.noarch

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