Abstract: Aspects include obtaining, by a sending system, a measured receive optical power level of an optical signal that was received at a receiving system coupled to the sending system via an optical network. The optical signal was sent via an optical transmitter of the sending system to an optical receiver of the receiving system. An optimal receive optical power level of the optical receiver of the receiving system is determined by the sending system. The sending system adjusts an output optical power level of the optical transmitter in response to determining that the measured receive optical power level is not within a threshold of the optimal receive optical power level. The adjusting is performed without decoupling the sending system from the receiving system.