A method for configuring a flow table in an OpenFlow network, wherein the method is performed by an OpenFlow protocol control device, and the method comprises: determining a type of a service needing to be forwarded by a switch device; determining, according to the type of the service needing to be forwarded by the switch device and a prestored correspondence between a service type and flow table matching capability information, flow table matching capability information corresponding to the service type, wherein the flow table matching capability information includes the number of flow table levels corresponding to the service type, the number of entries in each level of flow table, and a flow table match field type of each level of flow table; and sending a flow table configuration message to the switch device, wherein the flow table configuration message carries the flow table matching capability information corresponding to the service type, so that the switch device configures, according to the flow table matching capability information, a flow table required for the service type; wherein after the sending a flow table configuration message to the switch device, the method further comprises: sending a first indication message to the switch device, wherein the first indication message carries a flow rule delivered by the control device and information about a target level of flow table corresponding to the flow rule, the first indication message instructs the switch device to adapt the flow rule, delivered by the control device, to the target level of flow table and save an adaptation result, and the target level of flow table is a level of flow table in which the adaptation result is to be saved. determining a type of a service needing to be forwarded by a switch device; determining, according to the type of the service needing to be forwarded by the switch device and a prestored correspondence between a service type and flow table matching capability information, flow table matching capability information corresponding to the service type, wherein the flow table matching capability information includes the number of flow table levels corresponding to the service type, the number of entries in each level of flow table, and a flow table match field type of each level of flow table; and sending a flow table configuration message to the switch device, wherein the flow table configuration message carries the flow table matching capability information corresponding to the service type, so that the switch device configures, according to the flow table matching capability information, a flow table required for the service type; wherein after the sending a flow table configuration message to the switch device, the method further comprises: sending a first indication message to the switch device, wherein the first indication message carries a flow rule delivered by the control device and information about a target level of flow table corresponding to the flow rule, the first indication message instructs the switch device to adapt the flow rule, delivered by the control device, to the target level of flow table and save an adaptation result, and the target level of flow table is a level of flow table in which the adaptation result is to be saved.