Guarantor And Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Schedule Of Consolidated Statement Of Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	May 03, 2014	Apr. 27, 2013	May 03, 2014	Apr. 27, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	$ 536,910	$ 538,784	$ 1,101,445	$ 1,127,513
Intercompany revenues	0	0	0	0
Total net revenues	536,910	538,784	1,101,445	1,127,513
Cost of revenues	182,618	204,672	374,483	419,476
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	182,618	204,672	374,483	419,476
Gross margin	354,292	334,112	726,962	708,037
Operating expenses	334,097	276,933	585,277	557,567
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	334,097	276,933	585,277	557,567
Income from operations	20,195	57,179	141,685	150,470
Other income (expense)	(9,254)	(10,401)	(19,786)	(36,703)
Income before income tax	10,941	46,778	121,899	113,767
Income tax expense (benefit)	24,625	(171)	54,699	88,073
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(13,684)	46,949	67,200	25,694
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	313,634	313,525	636,750	676,580
Intercompany revenues	7,422	6,453	13,815	16,234
Total net revenues	321,056	319,978	650,565	692,814
Cost of revenues	121,481	131,123	242,113	267,745
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	(14,985)	(18,103)	(30,159)	(27,222)
Total cost of revenues	106,496	113,020	211,954	240,523
Gross margin	214,560	206,958	438,611	452,291
Operating expenses	287,601	196,641	479,797	410,404
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	(46,576)	(42,281)	(89,740)	(74,885)
Total operating expenses	241,025	154,360	390,057	335,519
Income from operations	(26,465)	52,598	48,554	116,772
Other income (expense)	(9,445)	(7,421)	(19,837)	(33,352)
Income before income tax	(35,910)	45,177	28,717	83,420
Income tax expense (benefit)	22,853	(2,817)	51,284	83,035
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	45,078	(1,045)	89,767	25,699
Net income (loss)	(13,685)	46,949	67,200	26,084
Subsidiary Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	582	1,056	1,381	2,123
Intercompany revenues	0	0	0	0
Total net revenues	582	1,056	1,381	2,123
Cost of revenues	2,206	11,649	8,822	22,213
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	2,206	11,649	8,822	22,213
Gross margin	(1,624)	(10,593)	(7,441)	(20,090)
Operating expenses	261	10,232	6,919	21,053
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	(7,356)	(7,446)	(14,448)	(14,277)
Total operating expenses	(7,095)	2,786	(7,529)	6,776
Income from operations	5,471	(13,379)	88	(26,866)
Other income (expense)	(8)	50	(134)	(44)
Income before income tax	5,463	(13,329)	(46)	(26,910)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	866	0	866
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	5,463	(14,195)	(46)	(27,776)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	222,694	224,203	463,314	448,810
Intercompany revenues	3,136	6,470	6,677	9,825
Total net revenues	225,830	230,673	469,991	458,635
Cost of revenues	57,400	59,726	120,523	125,291
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	25,543	31,026	50,651	53,281
Total cost of revenues	82,943	90,752	171,174	178,572
Gross margin	142,887	139,921	298,817	280,063
Operating expenses	47,766	72,234	101,586	130,337
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	53,932	49,727	104,188	89,162
Total operating expenses	101,698	121,961	205,774	219,499
Income from operations	41,189	17,960	93,043	60,564
Other income (expense)	199	(3,030)	185	(2,916)
Income before income tax	41,388	14,930	93,228	57,648
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,772	1,780	3,415	4,172
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	39,616	13,150	89,813	53,476
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Intercompany revenues	(10,558)	(12,923)	(20,492)	(26,059)
Total net revenues	(10,558)	(12,923)	(20,492)	(26,059)
Cost of revenues	1,531	2,174	3,025	4,227
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	(10,558)	(12,923)	(20,492)	(26,059)
Total cost of revenues	(9,027)	(10,749)	(17,467)	(21,832)
Gross margin	(1,531)	(2,174)	(3,025)	(4,227)
Operating expenses	(1,531)	(2,174)	(3,025)	(4,227)
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	(1,531)	(2,174)	(3,025)	(4,227)
Income from operations	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	(391)
Income before income tax	0	0	0	(391)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	(45,078)	1,045	(89,767)	(25,699)
Net income (loss)	$ (45,078)	$ 1,045	$ (89,767)	$ (26,090)