Guarantor And Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Schedule Of Condensed Consolidated Statement Of Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Oct. 26, 2013	Jul. 27, 2013	Apr. 27, 2013	Jan. 26, 2013	Oct. 27, 2012	Jul. 28, 2012	Apr. 28, 2012	Jan. 28, 2012	Oct. 26, 2013	Oct. 27, 2012	Oct. 29, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues									$ 2,222,864	$ 2,237,770	$ 2,147,442
Intercompany revenues									0	0	0
Total net revenues	558,800	536,551	538,784	588,729	578,357	555,332	543,439	560,642	2,222,864	2,237,770	2,147,442
Cost of revenues									813,985	854,751	863,908
Intercompany cost of revenues									0	0	0
Total cost of revenues									813,985	854,751	863,908
Gross margin	362,640	338,202	334,112	373,925	360,690	340,478	337,082	344,769	1,408,879	1,383,019	1,283,534
Operating expenses									1,100,396	1,105,290	1,106,014
Intercompany operating expenses (income)									0	0	0
Total operating expenses									1,100,396	1,105,290	1,106,014
Income (loss) from operations	83,650	74,363	57,179	93,291	86,320	70,221	51,769	69,419	308,483	277,729	177,520
Other income (expense)									21,978	(53,328)	(98,092)
Income before income tax									330,461	224,401	79,428
Income tax expense									121,838	29,220	28,818
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net income									208,623	195,181	50,610
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues									1,347,055	1,409,705	1,285,732
Intercompany revenues									25,507	44,152	88,063
Total net revenues									1,372,562	1,453,857	1,373,795
Cost of revenues									534,699	559,835	531,162
Intercompany cost of revenues									(58,050)	(35,070)	(2,263)
Total cost of revenues									476,649	524,765	528,899
Gross margin									895,913	929,092	844,896
Operating expenses									826,239	827,318	821,018
Intercompany operating expenses (income)									(127,997)	(138,197)	(138,789)
Total operating expenses									698,242	689,121	682,229
Income (loss) from operations									197,671	239,971	162,667
Other income (expense)									25,481	(49,470)	109,902
Income before income tax									223,152	190,501	272,569
Income tax expense									117,654	20,432	22,115
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries									103,516	25,112	(199,844)
Net income									209,014	195,181	50,610
Subsidiary Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues									4,257	4,685	27,569
Intercompany revenues									0	0	1,753
Total net revenues									4,257	4,685	29,322
Cost of revenues									38,991	49,935	85,540
Intercompany cost of revenues									0	0	0
Total cost of revenues									38,991	49,935	85,540
Gross margin									(34,734)	(45,250)	(56,218)
Operating expenses									34,175	56,838	76,645
Intercompany operating expenses (income)									(22,443)	(27,319)	(25,694)
Total operating expenses									11,732	29,519	50,951
Income (loss) from operations									(46,466)	(74,769)	(107,169)
Other income (expense)									258	4	(7,518)
Income before income tax									(46,208)	(74,765)	(114,687)
Income tax expense									1,190	0	46
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net income									(47,398)	(74,765)	(114,733)
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues									871,552	823,380	834,141
Intercompany revenues									22,123	21,709	35,980
Total net revenues									893,675	845,089	870,121
Cost of revenues									232,807	234,889	233,448
Intercompany cost of revenues									105,680	100,931	128,059
Total cost of revenues									338,487	335,820	361,507
Gross margin									555,188	509,269	508,614
Operating expenses									247,470	231,226	222,109
Intercompany operating expenses (income)									150,440	165,516	164,483
Total operating expenses									397,910	396,742	386,592
Income (loss) from operations									157,278	112,527	122,022
Other income (expense)									(3,370)	(3,862)	(200,476)
Income before income tax									153,908	108,665	(78,454)
Income tax expense									2,994	8,788	6,657
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net income									150,914	99,877	(85,111)
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues									0	0	0
Intercompany revenues									(47,630)	(65,861)	(125,796)
Total net revenues									(47,630)	(65,861)	(125,796)
Cost of revenues									7,488	10,092	13,758
Intercompany cost of revenues									(47,630)	(65,861)	(125,796)
Total cost of revenues									(40,142)	(55,769)	(112,038)
Gross margin									(7,488)	(10,092)	(13,758)
Operating expenses									(7,488)	(10,092)	(13,758)
Intercompany operating expenses (income)									0	0	0
Total operating expenses									(7,488)	(10,092)	(13,758)
Income (loss) from operations									0	0	0
Other income (expense)									(391)	0	0
Income before income tax									(391)	0	0
Income tax expense									0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries									(103,516)	(25,112)	199,844
Net income									$ (103,907)	$ (25,112)	$ 199,844