This invention discloses a method and an apparatus for
message forwarding and is applicable to IP packet network. The method comprises the following steps of: a compulsive or suggestive preferred outbound interface being set for a message by
router equipment according to the business requirement of present business application; while forwarding the message via the
router device, if a compulsive preferred outbound interface is judged to be set for the message, inquiring a forwarding
list according to the target
IP address of the message, and if the outbound interfaces corresponding to target
IP address contain the compulsive preferred interface according to the inquiring, then forwarding the message according to the inquired outbound interface, otherwise, giving up the forwarding of the message; if the suggestive preferred outbound interface is judged to be set for the message, inquiring the forwarding
list according to the target
IP address of the message, and if the outbound interfaces corresponding to target IP address contain the suggestive preferred interface according to the inquiring, forwarding the message according to the inquired outbound interface; otherwise, forwarding the message according to
default route forwarding strategies. By employing this invention, the flexibility and
scalability of the equivalent routing
load sharing mechanism can be improved.