A system and method of operating a communications network having a plurality of interconnected nodes is provided by: establishing a connection path from an ingress node to an egress node through intermediate nodes; associating the connection path with a network-wide unique identification; on the ingress node, storing the path identification so as to indicate that the path originates at the ingress node; on each intermediate node, storing the path identification so as to indicate that the path transits the intermediate node; and on the egress node, storing the path identification so as to indicate that the path terminates at the ingress node.