The application provides an operation request generating method. The method includes: a generation device generates a first operation request that requests to perform an operation on a first packet, where the first operation request includes first assignment content and information used to indicate a first assignment location, the first assignment location is a location in the first packet, the first assignment content is data used to assign a value to the first assignment location, and the information used to indicate the first assignment location includes an identifier of a type of a first packet header, a first offset, and a first length, where the first packet header is a packet header in the first packet, and the first offset is an offset relative to a start location of the first packet header; and the generation device sends the first operation request to a description device or a receiving device.