A method for acquiring a physical address of a virtual machine, wherein the method is used for a first virtual machine to acquire a physical address of a second virtual machine and comprises: receiving, by a first switching endpoint to which the first virtual machine belongs, an address acquisition request sent by the first virtual machine, wherein the address acquisition request comprises an IP address of the second virtual machine, and wherein the first switching endpoint and the first virtual machine belong to the same virtual local network; sending, by the first switching endpoint, the address acquisition request to a centralized controller of said virtual local area network, wherein the address acquisition request carries an identifier of the virtual local area network; receiving, by the first switching endpoint, a first response sent by the centralized controller in response to the address acquisition request, wherein the first response comprises an address list of N switching endpoints that comprise a second switching endpoint to which the second virtual machine belongs, wherein N is a positive integer, and the N switching endpoints are switching endpoints that belong to said virtual local area network; determining, after the first switching endpoint receives the first response sent by the centralized controller in response to the address acquisition request, whether the first response indicates that the physical address of the second virtual machine is not stored in the centralized controller; and if the first response indicates that the physical address of the second virtual machine is not stored in the centralized controller, sending, by the first switching endpoint in a unicast manner according to the first response, the address acquisition request separately to the N switching endpoints that comprise the second switching endpoint; receiving, by the first switching endpoint, a second response in response to the address acquisition request, wherein the second response comprises the physical address of the second virtual machine, wherein the receiving, by the first switching endpoint, a second response in response to the address acquisition request specifically comprises: receiving, by the first switching endpoint, the second response from the second switching endpoint; or receiving, by the first switching endpoint, the second response from the centralized controller, wherein the second response is sent by the second switching endpoint to the centralized controller; and sending, by the first switching endpoint, the second response to the first virtual machine. receiving, by a first switching endpoint to which the first virtual machine belongs, an address acquisition request sent by the first virtual machine, wherein the address acquisition request comprises an IP address of the second virtual machine, and wherein the first switching endpoint and the first virtual machine belong to the same virtual local network; sending, by the first switching endpoint, the address acquisition request to a centralized controller of said virtual local area network, wherein the address acquisition request carries an identifier of the virtual local area network; receiving, by the first switching endpoint, a first response sent by the centralized controller in response to the address acquisition request, wherein the first response comprises an address list of N switching endpoints that comprise a second switching endpoint to which the second virtual machine belongs, wherein N is a positive integer, and the N switching endpoints are switching endpoints that belong to said virtual local area network; determining, after the first switching endpoint receives the first response sent by the centralized controller in response to the address acquisition request, whether the first response indicates that the physical address of the second virtual machine is not stored in the centralized controller; and if the first response indicates that the physical address of the second virtual machine is not stored in the centralized controller, sending, by the first switching endpoint in a unicast manner according to the first response, the address acquisition request separately to the N switching endpoints that comprise the second switching endpoint; receiving, by the first switching endpoint, a second response in response to the address acquisition request, wherein the second response comprises the physical address of the second virtual machine, wherein the receiving, by the first switching endpoint, a second response in response to the address acquisition request specifically comprises: receiving, by the first switching endpoint, the second response from the second switching endpoint; or receiving, by the first switching endpoint, the second response from the centralized controller, wherein the second response is sent by the second switching endpoint to the centralized controller; and sending, by the first switching endpoint, the second response to the first virtual machine.