Performance measurement in a packet-switched communication network

A node for a packet switched communication network, the node being configured to:

• for each packet of a received packet flow, calculate a sampling signature by applying a hash function to a mask of bits of the packet;
• identify in the packet flow a sub-flow of measurement samples based on a predefined sampling value of the sampling signature, each packet being identified as a measurement sample if its sampling signature is equal to the predefined sampling value, wherein:
• other nodes of the packet switched communication network and the node are both provided with the predefined sampling value before calculation of the sampling signature by the node, and
• the identifying also comprises calculating an identification signature, different than the sampling signature, for at least one measurement sample by applying a further hash function to a further mask of a packet identified as the at least one measurement sample, wherein the identification signature is longer than the sampling signature;
• and
• provide measurement parameters relating to the measurement samples, wherein the providing comprises associating the calculated identification signature to a measurement parameter relating to the at least one measurement sample.

A non-transitory computer readable memory including software code portions that, when executed by a computer, perform steps of:

• calculating, at each one of at least two measurement points implemented on a path through a packet switched communication network, a sampling signature for each packet of a packet flow by applying a hash function to a mask of bits of the packet;
• identifying in the packet flow a sub-flow of measurement samples based on a predefined sampling value of the sampling signature, each packet being identified as a measurement sample if its sampling signature is equal to the predefined sampling value, wherein:
• each of the at least two measurement points are provided with the predefined sampling value before either of the at least two measurement points calculate the sampling signature, and
• the identifying also comprises calculating an identification signature, different than the sampling signature, for at least one measurement sample by applying a further hash function to a further mask of a packet identified as the at least one measurement sample, wherein the identification signature is longer than the sampling signature;
• providing measurement parameters relating to the measurement samples, wherein the providing comprises associating the calculated identification signature to a measurement parameter relating to the at least one measurement sample;
• and
• sending, to a measurement server, the measurement parameters relating to the measurement samples, wherein the measurement server is configured to perform performance measurement of the packet flow using the measurement parameters relating to the measurement samples.