'yum update' fails with "TypeError: Can not create index on requires table: disk I/O error"

Issue

# yum update
Loaded plugins: rhnplugin
 This system is receiving updates from RHN Classic or RHN Satellite.
rhel-x86_64-server-6                                                                                                                14444/14444
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/yum", line 29, in <module>
    yummain.user_main(sys.argv[1:], exit_code=True)
  File "/usr/share/yum-cli/yummain.py", line 254, in user_main
    errcode = main(args)
  File "/usr/share/yum-cli/yummain.py", line 109, in main
    result, resultmsgs = base.doCommands()
  File "/usr/share/yum-cli/cli.py", line 353, in doCommands
    self._getTs(needTsRemove)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/yum/depsolve.py", line 99, in _getTs
    self._getTsInfo(remove_only)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/yum/depsolve.py", line 110, in _getTsInfo
    pkgSack = self.pkgSack
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/yum/__init__.py", line 774, in <lambda>
    pkgSack = property(fget=lambda self: self._getSacks(),
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/yum/__init__.py", line 564, in _getSacks
    self.repos.populateSack(which=repos)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/yum/repos.py", line 279, in populateSack
    sack.populate(repo, mdtype, callback, cacheonly)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/yum/yumRepo.py", line 187, in populate
    dobj = repo_cache_function(xml, csum)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.6/site-packages/sqlitecachec.py", line 46, in getPrimary
    self.repoid))
TypeError: Can not create index on requires table: disk I/O error