A method in a wireless deterministic network, comprising: receiving, by a first node in the wireless deterministic network, configuration information identifying a destination-facing path portion of a particular one-way path over which to forward packets traversing from a source node to a destination node within the wireless deterministic network, the destination-facing path portion including a path traversing from a second node to the destination node, the configuration information being determined by a path definition agent and communicated to the first node from a prior node in a first portion of the particular one-way path traversing from the source node to the first node, said configuration information including time slot allocation information and frequency allocation information for communicating among nodes in the destination-facing path; installing, by the first node in an internal forwarding table, the received configuration information for the particular one-way path, including a specific time slot for the first node to receive packets being sent over the particular one-way path; communicating, by the first node to a second node in the wireless deterministic network, the configuration information, said configuration information including a particular time slot for the second node to receive packets being sent over the particular one-way path; receiving, by the first node from the second node, an acknowledgement message in the particular time slot that the destination-facing portion of the particular one-way path was configured and activated; and activating, by the first node in response to receiving the acknowledgement message, forwarding information in the internal forwarding table for forwarding packets to the second node over the particular one-way path. receiving, by a first node in the wireless deterministic network, configuration information identifying a destination-facing path portion of a particular one-way path over which to forward packets traversing from a source node to a destination node within the wireless deterministic network, the destination-facing path portion including a path traversing from a second node to the destination node, the configuration information being determined by a path definition agent and communicated to the first node from a prior node in a first portion of the particular one-way path traversing from the source node to the first node, said configuration information including time slot allocation information and frequency allocation information for communicating among nodes in the destination-facing path; installing, by the first node in an internal forwarding table, the received configuration information for the particular one-way path, including a specific time slot for the first node to receive packets being sent over the particular one-way path; communicating, by the first node to a second node in the wireless deterministic network, the configuration information, said configuration information including a particular time slot for the second node to receive packets being sent over the particular one-way path; receiving, by the first node from the second node, an acknowledgement message in the particular time slot that the destination-facing portion of the particular one-way path was configured and activated; and activating, by the first node in response to receiving the acknowledgement message, forwarding information in the internal forwarding table for forwarding packets to the second node over the particular one-way path.