A data packet forwarding method and an apparatus, where the method includes: receiving, by a forwarding device, a first default flow entry of the virtual network from a controller, where the first default flow entry of the virtual network instructs the forwarding device to send a data packet to a specified forwarding device when the forwarding device looks up a first flow table based on a match item of the data packet but no flow entry is hit; receiving, a first data packet from an end system; and when the controller is faulty and the forwarding device looks up the first flow table based on a match item of the first data packet but no flow entry is hit, sending, by the forwarding device, the first data packet to the specified forwarding device using the first default flow entry of the virtual network.