A method for processing a forwarding device fault, comprising: receiving, by a software-defined networking controller SNC, a notification message sent by a first forwarding device, wherein the notification message comprises a fault parameter of the first forwarding device, and the fault parameter of the first forwarding device comprises a device identifier of the first forwarding device, a port identifier of a degraded port of the first forwarding device, and a degradation value of the port identified by the port identifier (Step 201); determining, by the SNC according to the device identifier and the port identifier, at least one forwarding path that passes through the port identified by the port identifier (Step 202); obtaining, by the SNC, fault parameters of other forwarding devices different from the first forwarding device on one forwarding path of the at least one forwarding path, wherein the fault parameters of the other forwarding devices comprise device identifiers of the other forwarding devices, port identifiers of ports, on the forwarding path, of the other forwarding devices, and degradation values of the ports on the forwarding path (Step 203); and determining, by the SNC according to the fault parameter of the first forwarding device and the fault parameters of the other forwarding devices different from the first forwarding device on the forwarding path, whether to update the forwarding path (Step 204); wherein the determining, by the SNC according to the fault parameter of the first forwarding device and the fault parameters of the other forwarding devices different from the first forwarding device on the forwarding path, whether to update the forwarding path comprises: calculating, by the SNC, a total degradation value of ports on the forwarding path according to the degradation value of the port identified by the port identifier of the first forwarding device and the degradation values of the ports, on the forwarding path, of the other forwarding devices; and updating, by the SNC, the first forwarding path if the total degradation value of the ports on the forwarding path is greater than a preset threshold. receiving, by a software-defined networking controller SNC, a notification message sent by a first forwarding device, wherein the notification message comprises a fault parameter of the first forwarding device, and the fault parameter of the first forwarding device comprises a device identifier of the first forwarding device, a port identifier of a degraded port of the first forwarding device, and a degradation value of the port identified by the port identifier (Step 201); determining, by the SNC according to the device identifier and the port identifier, at least one forwarding path that passes through the port identified by the port identifier (Step 202); obtaining, by the SNC, fault parameters of other forwarding devices different from the first forwarding device on one forwarding path of the at least one forwarding path, wherein the fault parameters of the other forwarding devices comprise device identifiers of the other forwarding devices, port identifiers of ports, on the forwarding path, of the other forwarding devices, and degradation values of the ports on the forwarding path (Step 203); and determining, by the SNC according to the fault parameter of the first forwarding device and the fault parameters of the other forwarding devices different from the first forwarding device on the forwarding path, whether to update the forwarding path (Step 204); wherein the determining, by the SNC according to the fault parameter of the first forwarding device and the fault parameters of the other forwarding devices different from the first forwarding device on the forwarding path, whether to update the forwarding path comprises: calculating, by the SNC, a total degradation value of ports on the forwarding path according to the degradation value of the port identified by the port identifier of the first forwarding device and the degradation values of the ports, on the forwarding path, of the other forwarding devices; and updating, by the SNC, the first forwarding path if the total degradation value of the ports on the forwarding path is greater than a preset threshold. calculating, by the SNC, a total degradation value of ports on the forwarding path according to the degradation value of the port identified by the port identifier of the first forwarding device and the degradation values of the ports, on the forwarding path, of the other forwarding devices; and updating, by the SNC, the first forwarding path if the total degradation value of the ports on the forwarding path is greater than a preset threshold.