This application provides a search apparatus, including a global dispatcher, a global arbiter, and N search engines. The N search engines can access a first search table. The global dispatcher is configured to: determine that a first search keyword is corresponding to the first search table and dispatch the first search keyword to the N search engines. Each search engine is configured to: search, according to a first search algorithm, one subtable to determine whether an entry that matches the first search keyword exists; and output a search result to the global arbiter. The global arbiter is configured to arbitrate the search result output by each search engine, to obtain a search result corresponding to the first search table.