puppet_agent : RPM pre-fetch cache + Transition resource behavior prevent upgrades on AIX

Basic Info
Module Version:
1.3.2

Puppet Version:
Tested with 2016.5.2

OS Name/Version:
AIX 7.1

Describe your issue in as much detail as possible...

Zendesk Customer issue: https://puppetlabs.zendesk.com/agent/tickets/24870
Method to reproduce:

in site.pp, add:

node "pe-aix-71-support.delivery.puppetlabs.net:/root/rpm_out.txt" {

  if $::facts["aix_test"] =~ NotUndef {

    notify {"AIX testing enabled!": }

    package{'curl':

      ensure => 'present',

      provider => 'rpm',

    }

    class {'puppet_agent':

      package_version= '1.8.3',

    }

  }

}

Then run:

FACTER_aix_test=yes /opt/puppetlabs/puppet/bin/puppet agent -t

--and you will see that the rpm pre-fetch coupled with the way the Transition resource identifies the package as 'present' effectively skips the installation of the new puppet agent, --leaving puppet in a non-functioning state.

Desired Behavior:
The puppet_agent module should successfully upgrade the agent on AIX hosts.

Actual Behavior:

Due to the above manner in how the agent is upgraded with the rpm provider, the agent is not upgraded, and instead results in a a broken installation, which requires running the bash installer to correct:

curl -1 https://pe.corp.costco.com:8140/packages/current/install.bash | bash