A software defined networking (SDN) controller, a data center system, and a routing connection method relates to the field of communications technologies, where the method may use to resolve a technical problem in the prior art that a data center network cannot complete recovery of a communication fault. The SDN controller includes a receiver configured to receive a route calculation request sent by an endpoint device manager, where the route calculation request carries information about endpoint devices of both communication parties that need to perform route calculation, and a processor configured to perform route calculation for the endpoint devices of the both communication parties that need to perform route calculation, and control, according to calculated route information, a forwarding device to perform routing connection for the endpoint devices of the both communication parties.