A flow entry configuration method, comprising: reporting, by a switch, information about a data packet of a first service to a controller; receiving, by the switch, a flow entry that is of the first service and that is delivered by the controller according to the information about the data packet of the first service and a flow table structure, wherein the flow table structure comprises match fields and actions that are supported by multiple flow tables, a match field supported by each of the multiple flow tables comprises a match field of the first service, and an action supported by each of the multiple flow tables comprises an action of the first service; determining, by the switch in a plurality of preconfigured service paths, a first target service path matching the flow entry of the first service, wherein each service path of the plurality of preconfigured service paths comprises a match field and an action that are required to implement a service corresponding to the each service path, wherein the first target service path comprises one or more match fields and one or more actions, the one or more match fields of the first target service path comprises the match field of the first service, and the one or more actions of the first target service path comprises the action of the first service; determining, by the switch, a plurality of target hardware flow tables corresponding to the first target service path according to a preconfigured correspondence between service paths and hardware flow tables in a hardware forwarding chip of the switch, wherein the plurality of target hardware flow tables support a service supported by the first target service path, wherein the preconfigured correspondence comprises a correspondence between the first target service path and the plurality of target hardware flow tables that jointly comprise a match field and an action that are required to implement the service supported by the first target service path; and configuring, by the switch, one or more flow entries of the plurality of target hardware flow tables according to the flow entry of the first service. reporting, by a switch, information about a data packet of a first service to a controller; receiving, by the switch, a flow entry that is of the first service and that is delivered by the controller according to the information about the data packet of the first service and a flow table structure, wherein the flow table structure comprises match fields and actions that are supported by multiple flow tables, a match field supported by each of the multiple flow tables comprises a match field of the first service, and an action supported by each of the multiple flow tables comprises an action of the first service; determining, by the switch in a plurality of preconfigured service paths, a first target service path matching the flow entry of the first service, wherein each service path of the plurality of preconfigured service paths comprises a match field and an action that are required to implement a service corresponding to the each service path, wherein the first target service path comprises one or more match fields and one or more actions, the one or more match fields of the first target service path comprises the match field of the first service, and the one or more actions of the first target service path comprises the action of the first service; determining, by the switch, a plurality of target hardware flow tables corresponding to the first target service path according to a preconfigured correspondence between service paths and hardware flow tables in a hardware forwarding chip of the switch, wherein the plurality of target hardware flow tables support a service supported by the first target service path, wherein the preconfigured correspondence comprises a correspondence between the first target service path and the plurality of target hardware flow tables that jointly comprise a match field and an action that are required to implement the service supported by the first target service path; and configuring, by the switch, one or more flow entries of the plurality of target hardware flow tables according to the flow entry of the first service.