Abstract: An optical interconnect system for communication between computer system components is described. The system includes an optical data communication path and a plurality of optical taps, each optical tap optically coupling a respective computer system component to the optical data communication path. Each optical tap splits power from an optical signal received from the data communication path or from a light source generating a data signal from its associated computer component resulting in another optical signal. Each optical tap splits light in accordance with a respective power ratio relationship between reflectivity and transmissivity. The ratio relationships of the optical taps together provide a predetermined communication reliability metric for signals traversing the optical interconnect system between computer system components.