Guarantor And Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Schedule Of Consolidated Statement Of Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 25, 2014	Jan. 26, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	$ 564,535	$ 588,729
Intercompany revenues	0	0
Total net revenues	564,535	588,729
Cost of revenues	191,865	214,804
Intercompany cost of revenues	0	0
Total cost of revenues	191,865	214,804
Gross margin	372,670	373,925
Operating expenses	251,180	280,634
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	0	0
Total operating expenses	251,180	280,634
Income from operations	121,490	93,291
Other income (expense)	(10,532)	(26,302)
Income before income tax	110,958	66,989
Income tax expense	30,074	88,244
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0
Net income (loss)	80,884	(21,255)
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	323,116	363,055
Intercompany revenues	6,393	9,781
Total net revenues	329,509	372,836
Cost of revenues	120,632	136,622
Intercompany cost of revenues	(15,174)	(9,119)
Total cost of revenues	105,458	127,503
Gross margin	224,051	245,333
Operating expenses	192,196	213,763
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	(43,164)	(32,604)
Total operating expenses	149,032	181,159
Income from operations	75,019	64,174
Other income (expense)	(10,392)	(25,931)
Income before income tax	64,627	38,243
Income tax expense	28,431	85,852
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	44,689	26,744
Net income (loss)	80,885	(20,865)
Subsidiary Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	799	1,067
Intercompany revenues	0	0
Total net revenues	799	1,067
Cost of revenues	6,616	10,564
Intercompany cost of revenues	0	0
Total cost of revenues	6,616	10,564
Gross margin	(5,817)	(9,497)
Operating expenses	6,658	10,821
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	(7,092)	(6,831)
Total operating expenses	(434)	3,990
Income from operations	(5,383)	(13,487)
Other income (expense)	(126)	(94)
Income before income tax	(5,509)	(13,581)
Income tax expense	0	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0
Net income (loss)	(5,509)	(13,581)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	240,620	224,607
Intercompany revenues	3,541	3,355
Total net revenues	244,161	227,962
Cost of revenues	63,123	65,565
Intercompany cost of revenues	25,108	22,255
Total cost of revenues	88,231	87,820
Gross margin	155,930	140,142
Operating expenses	53,820	58,103
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	50,256	39,435
Total operating expenses	104,076	97,538
Income from operations	51,854	42,604
Other income (expense)	(14)	114
Income before income tax	51,840	42,718
Income tax expense	1,643	2,392
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0
Net income (loss)	50,197	40,326
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	0	0
Intercompany revenues	(9,934)	(13,136)
Total net revenues	(9,934)	(13,136)
Cost of revenues	1,494	2,053
Intercompany cost of revenues	(9,934)	(13,136)
Total cost of revenues	(8,440)	(11,083)
Gross margin	(1,494)	(2,053)
Operating expenses	(1,494)	(2,053)
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	0	0
Total operating expenses	(1,494)	(2,053)
Income from operations	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	(391)
Income before income tax	0	(391)
Income tax expense	0	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	(44,689)	(26,744)
Net income (loss)	$ (44,689)	$ (27,135)