With the rapid development of Internet, it has been difficult for existing network architecture to meet the development of new applications, and ossification has grown to some extent. Network virtualization is considered to be the main means of solving the ossification problem. In network virtualization, virtual network mapping problem researches how to map virtual networks with nodes and links’ constraints to substrate network, which is surveyed in this paper. First, a formal definition of virtual network mapping problem is proposed, which is used to describe the problem in abstraction level. Meanwhile, challenges and solving goals of the problem are also investigated. Second classification of solving methods for this problem is analyzed, and, on the basis of the classification, many typical solving methods are introduced and compared. Finally, future research trends of the solving methods for this problem are reviewed.