Guarantor And Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Schedule Of Condensed Consolidated Statement Of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 01, 2014	Oct. 26, 2013	Oct. 27, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 541,597	$ 451,029	$ 590,870
Purchases of non-marketable equity investments	(223)	0	0
Proceeds from sale of non-marketable equity investments	10,798	0	0
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments	0	0	952
Purchases of property and equipment	(54,734)	(52,371)	(72,797)
Net cash paid in connection with acquisitions	(16,900)	(44,629)	0
Proceeds from collection of note receivable	250	70,000	0
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary	9,995	0	35
Net cash used in investing activities	(50,814)	(27,000)	(71,810)
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes	0	296,250	0
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes	0	(300,000)	0
Payment of principal related to the term loan			(190,000)
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes	0	(992)	0
Payment of principal related to capital leases	(2,485)	(1,627)	(1,866)
Common stock repurchases	(335,380)	(240,000)	(130,209)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	83,994	93,771	98,791
Payment of cash dividends to stockholders	(30,384)	0	0
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	64,563	3,189	5,141
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(219,692)	(149,409)	(218,143)
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents	(3,071)	(849)	(1,893)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	268,020	273,771	299,024
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	986,997	713,226	414,202
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	1,255,017	986,997	713,226
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by operating activities	348,422	281,478	464,097
Purchases of non-marketable equity investments	(223)
Proceeds from sale of non-marketable equity investments	10,798
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments			0
Purchases of property and equipment	(41,544)	(44,786)	(62,791)
Net cash paid in connection with acquisitions	(11,007)	(44,769)
Proceeds from collection of note receivable	250	70,000
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary	3,081		35
Net cash used in investing activities	(38,645)	(19,555)	(62,756)
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes		296,250
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes		(300,000)
Payment of principal related to the term loan			(190,000)
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes		(992)
Payment of principal related to capital leases	(2,485)	(1,627)	(1,866)
Common stock repurchases	(335,380)	(240,000)	(130,209)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	83,994	93,771	98,791
Payment of cash dividends to stockholders	(30,384)
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	64,240	2,919	5,042
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(220,015)	(149,679)	(218,242)
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	89,762	112,244	183,099
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	396,710	284,466	101,367
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	486,472	396,710	284,466
Subsidiary Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by operating activities	(1,155)	8,503	(1,799)
Purchases of non-marketable equity investments	0
Proceeds from sale of non-marketable equity investments	0
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments			952
Purchases of property and equipment	0	(22)	0
Net cash paid in connection with acquisitions	0	140
Proceeds from collection of note receivable	0	0
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary	0		0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	118	952
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes		0
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes		0
Payment of principal related to the term loan			0
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes		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
Payment of cash dividends to stockholders	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 in cash and cash equivalents	(1,155)	8,621	(847)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	9,301	680	1,527
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	8,146	9,301	680
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by operating activities	194,330	161,048	128,572
Purchases of non-marketable equity investments	0
Proceeds from sale of non-marketable equity investments	0
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments			0
Purchases of property and equipment	(13,190)	(7,563)	(10,006)
Net cash paid in connection with acquisitions	(5,893)	0
Proceeds from collection of note receivable	0	0
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary	6,914		0
Net cash used in investing activities	(12,169)	(7,563)	(10,006)
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes		0
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes		0
Payment of principal related to the term loan			0
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes		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
Payment of cash dividends to stockholders	0
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	323	270	99
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	323	270	99
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents	(3,071)	(849)	(1,893)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	179,413	152,906	116,772
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	580,986	428,080	311,308
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	760,399	580,986	428,080
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions
Net cash provided by operating activities	0	0	0
Purchases of non-marketable equity investments	0
Proceeds from sale of non-marketable equity investments	0
Proceeds from maturities and sale of short-term investments			0
Purchases of property and equipment	0	0	0
Net cash paid in connection with acquisitions	0	0
Proceeds from collection of note receivable	0	0
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary	0		0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0	0
Proceeds from senior unsecured notes		0
Payment of principal related to senior secured notes		0
Payment of principal related to the term loan			0
Payment of debt issuance costs related to senior unsecured notes		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
Payment of cash dividends to stockholders	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 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