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. <EOS>