Guarantor And Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Schedule Of Condensed Consolidated Statement Of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 26, 2013	Oct. 27, 2012	Oct. 29, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 451,029	$ 590,870	$ 449,232
Purchases of short-term investments	0	0	(38)
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments	0	952	1,604
Purchases of property and equipment	(52,371)	(72,797)	(96,797)
Net cash paid in connection with acquisition	(44,629)	0	0
Proceeds from collection of convertible note receivable	70,000	0	0
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary	0	35	3,905
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(27,000)	(71,810)	(91,326)
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes	296,250	0	0
Proceeds from term loan	0	0	198,950
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes	(300,000)	0	0
Payment of principal related to the term loan	0	(190,000)	(359,898)
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes	(992)	0	0
Payment of fees related to the term loan	0	0	(1,167)
Payment of principal related to capital leases	(1,627)	(1,866)	(1,761)
Common stock repurchases	(240,000)	(130,209)	(210,698)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	93,771	98,791	97,152
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	3,189	5,141	312
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(149,409)	(218,143)	(277,110)
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents	(849)	(1,893)	(578)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	273,771	299,024	80,218
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	713,226	414,202	333,984
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	986,997	713,226	414,202
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	281,478	464,097	436,714
Purchases of short-term investments			0
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments		0	0
Purchases of property and equipment	(44,786)	(62,791)	(86,447)
Net cash paid in connection with acquisition	(44,769)
Proceeds from collection of convertible note receivable	70,000
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary		35	4,966
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(19,555)	(62,756)	(81,481)
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes	296,250
Proceeds from term loan			198,950
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes	(300,000)
Payment of principal related to the term loan		(190,000)	(359,898)
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes	(992)
Payment of fees related to the term loan			(1,167)
Payment of principal related to capital leases	(1,627)	(1,866)	(1,761)
Common stock repurchases	(240,000)	(130,209)	(210,698)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	93,771	98,791	97,152
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	2,919	5,042	101
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(149,679)	(218,242)	(277,321)
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	112,244	183,099	77,912
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	284,466	101,367	23,455
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	396,710	284,466	101,367
Subsidiary Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	8,503	(1,799)	(5,852)
Purchases of short-term investments			(38)
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments		952	1,604
Purchases of property and equipment	(22)	0	(33)
Net cash paid in connection with acquisition	140
Proceeds from collection of convertible note receivable	0
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary		0	(1,061)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	118	952	472
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes	0
Proceeds from term loan			0
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes	0
Payment of principal related to the term loan		0	0
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes	0
Payment of fees related to the term loan			0
Payment of principal related to capital leases	0	0	0
Common stock repurchases	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0	0
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	0	0
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	8,621	(847)	(5,380)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	680	1,527	6,907
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	9,301	680	1,527
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	161,048	128,572	18,370
Purchases of short-term investments			0
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments		0	0
Purchases of property and equipment	(7,563)	(10,006)	(10,317)
Net cash paid in connection with acquisition	0
Proceeds from collection of convertible note receivable	0
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary		0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(7,563)	(10,006)	(10,317)
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes	0
Proceeds from term loan			0
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes	0
Payment of principal related to the term loan		0	0
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes	0
Payment of fees related to the term loan			0
Payment of principal related to capital leases	0	0	0
Common stock repurchases	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0	0
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	270	99	211
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	270	99	211
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents	(849)	(1,893)	(578)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	152,906	116,772	7,686
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	428,080	311,308	303,622
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	580,986	428,080	311,308
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0	0
Purchases of short-term investments			0
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments		0	0
Purchases of property and equipment	0	0	0
Net cash paid in connection with acquisition	0
Proceeds from collection of convertible note receivable	0
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary		0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes	0
Proceeds from term loan			0
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes	0
Payment of principal related to the term loan		0	0
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes	0
Payment of fees related to the term loan			0
Payment of principal related to capital leases	0	0	0
Common stock repurchases	0	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0	0	0
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	0	0
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0