A message transmitting method is provided, comprising: receiving a first message sent from a first OpenFlow switch by an OpenFlow controller; transmitting a first response message to the first OpenFlow switch by the OpenFlow controller when the OpenFlow controller determines that the first OpenFlow switch is under the management of the OpenFlow controller, wherein the first response message comprises type information and parameters related to the OpenFlow controller, the first connection is a connection to be established between the first OpenFlow switch and the OpenFlow controller, and the first response message corresponds to the first message. Furthermore, other message transmitting methods, message receiving methods, OpenFlow controllers and first OpenFlow switches are provided in embodiments of the present invention. With the technical solutions provided in embodiments of the present invention, the OpenFlow switch or the OpenFlow controller can automatically acquire parameters of a connection to be established.