In a communication system, including a plurality of communication node apparatuses, for establishing a path for communication by exchanging a message among the plurality of communication node apparatuses, before establishing a path, an identifier of a path for which reuse of resources of the path to be established is permitted or inhibited is determined, and the determined identification information is included in a control message so that the path is established. A communication node apparatus in which the path has been established determines availability of reuse of resources the path based on the identification information in the control message. When an event such as failure occurrence, occurrence of resource reuse or dissolution of resource reuse occurs, the communication node apparatus executes path priority change processing, so that priority can be changed such that resource reuse can be performed most efficiently.