A network device management method for use in an autonomic network, wherein the autonomic network comprises a plurality of network devices, referred to as Autonomic Control Plane, ACP, nodes, wherein each ACP node comprises a control plane, referred to as an ACP virtual routing forwarding, VRF, module, and a service plane, the two planes being independent from each other, wherein the ACP VRF module is used for implementing network management tasks and the service plane is used for forwarding service data, wherein the method is performed by a first network device included in the plurality of network device, and the method comprises: obtaining management information of a service flow, wherein the management information comprises a type of a management operation and an identifier of the service flow; determining a second network device on a forwarding path of the service flow based on the identifier of the service flow, wherein the second network device is a next-hop network device of the first network device along a forwarding path of the service flow; encapsulating the management information to obtain a control packet by using a forwarding model that is the same as that of the service packet; sending the control packet to the second network device via the service plane, wherein the control packet comprises the management information, and the control packet is used to instruct the second network device to perform a management operation based on the type of the management operation and obtain information associated with the management operation; and receiving a response packet from the second network device via the control plane, wherein the response packet comprises the information associated with the management operation; wherein the control packet further comprises control information, and the control information comprises at least one type of first forwarding control information and second forwarding control information, wherein the first forwarding control information is used to: when the second network device does not support the management operation, indicate the second network device to forward the control packet or stop forwarding the control packet, and the second forwarding control information is used to: when there are at least two next-hop network devices of the second network device, indicate the second network device to forward the control packet to one of the next-hop network devices, or forward the control packet to each of the next-hop network devices of the second network device. obtaining management information of a service flow, wherein the management information comprises a type of a management operation and an identifier of the service flow; determining a second network device on a forwarding path of the service flow based on the identifier of the service flow, wherein the second network device is a next-hop network device of the first network device along a forwarding path of the service flow; encapsulating the management information to obtain a control packet by using a forwarding model that is the same as that of the service packet; sending the control packet to the second network device via the service plane, wherein the control packet comprises the management information, and the control packet is used to instruct the second network device to perform a management operation based on the type of the management operation and obtain information associated with the management operation; and receiving a response packet from the second network device via the control plane, wherein the response packet comprises the information associated with the management operation; wherein the control packet further comprises control information, and the control information comprises at least one type of first forwarding control information and second forwarding control information, wherein the first forwarding control information is used to: when the second network device does not support the management operation, indicate the second network device to forward the control packet or stop forwarding the control packet, and the second forwarding control information is used to: when there are at least two next-hop network devices of the second network device, indicate the second network device to forward the control packet to one of the next-hop network devices, or forward the control packet to each of the next-hop network devices of the second network device.