That sounds like good news, thank you Diego.
I found this copy of the Rapid Storage Technology 12.6.0.1033 Production Version Release Notes:
http://www.station-drivers.com/telechargement/intel/sata/ReleaseNotes_12.6.0.1033.htm
It makes no mention whatsoever of Windows Server 2012.
I also found the Wikipedia article:
Intel Matrix RAID - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.. which lists the Option ROM versions, rather than the software versions. So that leads to another question:
When Intel releases Driver and Manager software for Rapid Storage Technology, how does this relate to the Option ROM version?
My Dell Precision T3400, for example, shows the Intel Option ROM v7.6.1.1001 ICH9R w/RAID 5.
My running Windows Server 2012, in the driver information (running driver v11.6.0.1030 with software v11.6.0.1030) shows:
Hardware Ids PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2822&SUBSYS_02141028&REV_02
Matching Device Id PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2822&CC_0104
Device Instance Path PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2822&SUBSYS_02141028&REV_02\3&172E68DD&0&FA
So, in addition to Intel Rapid Storage Technology Drivers and Manager Software v12.6 supposedly handling Windows Server 2012, although on the Intel downloads website the latest I see is 12.5, and neither 12.5 nor the release notes I linked above for 12.6 even mentions the product "Windows Server 2012", it's also valid to check: Will 12.6 support the ICH9R, and is the Option ROM v7.6.1.1001 ICH9R supported?
Side question: I see that Dell has made available a newer BIOS for the Precision T3400; I am running BIOS A09. There is an A14 available. The Dell BIOS release notes don't mention anything about the Intel Option ROM being updated by these Dell BIOS updates, but there are discussions on the Internet which suggest that in fact the more recent Dell Precision T3x00 series BIOS updates may update the Intel Option ROM also.
I have NOT yet applied this A14 update, as I do not want to take the chance that the update would make the currently-working Intel RST v11.6.0.1030 driver or software incompatible.
Can you give an opinion on whether an Intel Option ROM firmware update, which might be delivered by a computer BIOS update, is supposed to be always compatible with older drivers and older management software?
I remind you that the original symptom has always been that the newer _drivers_ were accepted by Windows Server 2012 and seem to work, but the Manager _Software_ would refuse to recognize the existence of Intel Rapid Storage Technology in the system if any software version newer than 11.6 was attempted on Windows Server 2012; leaving the computer operator blind to the status of the RAID arrays, and unable to manage them.
Thank you for looking into these detailed further questions, as well as for continuing to follow up on the formal support of Windows Server 2012 in RST release 12.6, and getting us information about where it may be accessed (as only versions up to 12.5 presently appear on the Intel downloads webpage).
thank you.