A routing management method includes: receiving, by a network controller, a request for creating a Layer 2 Virtual Private Network, determining, according to routing information of each router in a public network and information about a connection between each local area network and the public network, path information of a tunnel that a packet between any two of the local area networks should pass by when being transmitted in the public network; determining, according to the path information of each tunnel, forwarding information that each router forwards a packet along each tunnel, and allocating, to each router that each tunnel passes by, a label and processing information that is for the label before each router forwards the packet; and sending each piece of routing control information to each router, so that each router forwards the packet. The method reduces a calculation overhead of a router in a public network.