Guarantor And Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Schedule Of Consolidated Statement Of Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Aug. 02, 2014	Jul. 27, 2013	Aug. 02, 2014	Jul. 27, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	$ 545,464	$ 536,551	$ 1,646,909	$ 1,664,064
Intercompany revenues	0	0	0	0
Total net revenues	545,464	536,551	1,646,909	1,664,064
Cost of revenues	183,751	198,349	558,234	617,825
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	183,751	198,349	558,234	617,825
Gross margin	361,713	338,202	1,088,675	1,046,239
Operating expenses	243,816	263,839	829,093	821,406
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	243,816	263,839	829,093	821,406
Income from operations	117,897	74,363	259,582	224,833
Other income (expense)	(3,877)	67,437	(23,663)	30,734
Income before income tax	114,020	141,800	235,919	255,567
Income tax expense	26,668	23,104	81,367	111,177
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	87,352	118,696	154,552	144,390
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	303,946	327,422	940,696	1,004,002
Intercompany revenues	6,127	5,647	19,942	21,881
Total net revenues	310,073	333,069	960,638	1,025,883
Cost of revenues	118,972	137,260	361,085	405,005
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	(15,723)	(14,489)	(45,882)	(41,711)
Total cost of revenues	103,249	122,771	315,203	363,294
Gross margin	206,824	210,298	645,435	662,589
Operating expenses	185,967	198,119	665,764	608,523
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	(55,043)	(14,763)	(144,783)	(89,648)
Total operating expenses	130,924	183,356	520,981	518,875
Income from operations	75,900	26,942	124,454	143,714
Other income (expense)	(3,658)	67,657	(23,495)	34,305
Income before income tax	72,242	94,599	100,959	178,019
Income tax expense	25,325	26,079	76,609	109,114
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	40,435	50,176	130,202	75,875
Net income	87,352	118,696	154,552	144,780
Subsidiary Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	366	1,053	1,747	3,176
Intercompany revenues	0	0	0	0
Total net revenues	366	1,053	1,747	3,176
Cost of revenues	170	6,891	8,992	29,104
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	170	6,891	8,992	29,104
Gross margin	196	(5,838)	(7,245)	(25,928)
Operating expenses	223	9,888	7,142	30,941
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	(9,481)	(11)	(23,929)	(14,288)
Total operating expenses	(9,258)	9,877	(16,787)	16,653
Income from operations	9,454	(15,715)	9,542	(42,581)
Other income (expense)	(58)	350	(192)	306
Income before income tax	9,396	(15,365)	9,350	(42,275)
Income tax expense	0	0	0	866
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	9,396	(15,365)	9,350	(43,141)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	241,152	208,076	704,466	656,886
Intercompany revenues	3,807	7,855	10,484	17,680
Total net revenues	244,959	215,931	714,950	674,566
Cost of revenues	63,192	52,453	183,715	177,744
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	25,657	27,991	76,308	81,272
Total cost of revenues	88,849	80,444	260,023	259,016
Gross margin	156,110	135,487	454,927	415,550
Operating expenses	59,043	57,577	160,629	187,914
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	64,524	14,774	168,712	103,936
Total operating expenses	123,567	72,351	329,341	291,850
Income from operations	32,543	63,136	125,586	123,700
Other income (expense)	(161)	(570)	24	(3,486)
Income before income tax	32,382	62,566	125,610	120,214
Income tax expense	1,343	(2,975)	4,758	1,197
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	31,039	65,541	120,852	119,017
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Intercompany revenues	(9,934)	(13,502)	(30,426)	(39,561)
Total net revenues	(9,934)	(13,502)	(30,426)	(39,561)
Cost of revenues	1,417	1,745	4,442	5,972
Intercompany (income) cost of revenues	(9,934)	(13,502)	(30,426)	(39,561)
Total cost of revenues	(8,517)	(11,757)	(25,984)	(33,589)
Gross margin	(1,417)	(1,745)	(4,442)	(5,972)
Operating expenses	(1,417)	(1,745)	(4,442)	(5,972)
Intercompany operating expenses (income)	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses	(1,417)	(1,745)	(4,442)	(5,972)
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	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	(40,435)	(50,176)	(130,202)	(75,875)
Net income	$ (40,435)	$ (50,176)	$ (130,202)	$ (76,266)