Guarantor And Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Schedule Of Consolidated Statement Of Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Apr. 27, 2013	Apr. 28, 2012	Apr. 27, 2013	Apr. 28, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	$ 538,784	$ 543,439	$ 1,127,513	$ 1,104,081
Intercompany revenues	0	0	0	0
Total net revenues	538,784	543,439	1,127,513	1,104,081
Cost of revenues	204,672	206,357	419,476	422,230
Intercompany cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	204,672	206,357	419,476	422,230
Gross margin	334,112	337,082	708,037	681,851
Operating expenses	276,933	285,313	557,567	560,663
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	276,933	285,313	557,567	560,663
Income from operations	57,179	51,769	150,470	121,188
Other income (expense)	(10,401)	(13,181)	(36,703)	(27,223)
Income before income tax	46,778	38,588	113,767	93,965
Income tax expense (benefit)	(171)	(708)	88,073	(3,915)
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	46,949	39,296	25,694	97,880
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	313,525	352,760	676,580	692,904
Intercompany revenues	6,453	13,947	16,234	24,607
Total net revenues	319,978	366,707	692,814	717,511
Cost of revenues	131,123	141,052	267,745	272,188
Intercompany cost of revenues	(18,103)	(6,792)	(27,222)	(15,166)
Total cost of revenues	113,020	134,260	240,523	257,022
Gross margin	206,958	232,447	452,291	460,489
Operating expenses	196,641	216,870	410,404	415,125
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	(42,281)	(30,169)	(74,885)	(66,925)
Total operating expenses	154,360	186,701	335,519	348,200
Income from operations	52,598	45,746	116,772	112,289
Other income (expense)	(7,421)	(12,915)	(33,352)	(23,197)
Income before income tax	45,177	32,831	83,420	89,092
Income tax expense (benefit)	(2,817)	(2,565)	83,035	(8,122)
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	(1,045)	3,900	25,699	666
Net income	46,949	39,296	26,084	97,880
Subsidiary Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	1,056	1,250	2,123	2,739
Intercompany revenues	0	0	0	0
Total net revenues	1,056	1,250	2,123	2,739
Cost of revenues	11,649	10,852	22,213	27,988
Intercompany cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	11,649	10,852	22,213	27,988
Gross margin	(10,593)	(9,602)	(20,090)	(25,249)
Operating expenses	10,232	15,162	21,053	30,489
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	(7,446)	(6,539)	(14,277)	(12,561)
Total operating expenses	2,786	8,623	6,776	17,928
Income from operations	(13,379)	(18,225)	(26,866)	(43,177)
Other income (expense)	50	(111)	(44)	(106)
Income before income tax	(13,329)	(18,336)	(26,910)	(43,283)
Income tax expense (benefit)	866	0	866	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	(14,195)	(18,336)	(27,776)	(43,283)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	224,203	189,429	448,810	408,438
Intercompany revenues	6,470	7,349	9,825	14,069
Total net revenues	230,673	196,778	458,635	422,507
Cost of revenues	59,726	51,546	125,291	116,924
Intercompany cost of revenues	31,026	28,088	53,281	53,842
Total cost of revenues	90,752	79,634	178,572	170,766
Gross margin	139,921	117,144	280,063	251,741
Operating expenses	72,234	56,188	130,337	120,179
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	49,727	36,708	89,162	79,486
Total operating expenses	121,961	92,896	219,499	199,665
Income from operations	17,960	24,248	60,564	52,076
Other income (expense)	(3,030)	(155)	(2,916)	(3,920)
Income before income tax	14,930	24,093	57,648	48,156
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,780	1,857	4,172	4,207
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	13,150	22,236	53,476	43,949
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Intercompany revenues	(12,923)	(21,296)	(26,059)	(38,676)
Total net revenues	(12,923)	(21,296)	(26,059)	(38,676)
Cost of revenues	2,174	2,907	4,227	5,130
Intercompany cost of revenues	(12,923)	(21,296)	(26,059)	(38,676)
Total cost of revenues	(10,749)	(18,389)	(21,832)	(33,546)
Gross margin	(2,174)	(2,907)	(4,227)	(5,130)
Operating expenses	(2,174)	(2,907)	(4,227)	(5,130)
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	(2,174)	(2,907)	(4,227)	(5,130)
Income from operations	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	(391)	0
Income before income tax	0	0	(391)	0
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	1,045	(3,900)	(25,699)	(666)
Net income	$ 1,045	$ (3,900)	$ (26,090)	$ (666)