Quarterly Summary (Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information) (Details) (USD $) Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended											12 Months Ended
	Nov. 01, 2014	Aug. 02, 2014	May 03, 2014		Jan. 25, 2014	Oct. 26, 2013	Jul. 27, 2013		Apr. 27, 2013	Jan. 26, 2013		Nov. 01, 2014	Oct. 26, 2013	Oct. 27, 2012
Selected Quarterly Financial Information
Net revenues	$ 564,358,000	$ 545,464,000	$ 536,910,000		$ 564,535,000	$ 558,800,000	$ 536,551,000		$ 538,784,000	$ 588,729,000		$ 2,211,267,000	$ 2,222,864,000	$ 2,237,770,000
Gross margin	377,118,000	361,713,000	354,292,000		372,670,000	362,640,000	338,202,000		334,112,000	373,925,000		1,465,793,000	1,408,879,000	1,383,019,000
Income from operations	126,530,000	117,897,000	20,195,000		121,490,000	83,650,000	74,363,000		57,179,000	93,291,000		386,112,000	308,483,000	277,729,000
Net income (loss)	83,419,000	87,352,000	(13,684,000)	[1]	80,884,000	64,233,000	118,696,000	[2]	46,949,000	(21,255,000)	[3]
Net income (loss) per-share—basic	$ 0.19	$ 0.20	$ (0.03)	[1]	$ 0.18	$ 0.14	$ 0.26	[2]	$ 0.10	$ (0.05)	[3]	$ 0.55	$ 0.46	$ 0.43
Net income (loss) per-share—diluted	$ 0.19	$ 0.20	$ (0.03)	[1]	$ 0.18	$ 0.14	$ 0.26	[2]	$ 0.10	$ (0.05)	[3]	$ 0.53	$ 0.45	$ 0.41
Shares used in per share calculation—basic	431,843	432,448	436,167		440,573	444,642	449,446		453,133	454,843		435,258	450,516	456,629
Shares used in per share calculation—diluted	441,649	441,789	436,167		453,549	460,237	461,344		466,919	454,843		446,859	463,705	472,343
Brocade Price Per Share High	$ 10.99	$ 9.75	$ 10.96		$ 9.70	$ 8.43	$ 6.69		$ 6.15	$ 5.80
Brocade Price Per Share Low	$ 8.91	$ 7.95	$ 8.81		$ 7.77	$ 6.28	$ 5.14		$ 5.38	$ 5.17
Quarterly Financial Information, Explanatory Disclosure			The quarter ended May 3, 2014, includes the impact of an $83.4 million impairment of goodwill in the Company’s Application Delivery Products reporting unit.				The quarter ended July 27, 2013, includes the impact of the nonrecurring gain of $76.8 million resulting from the litigation settlement with A10 Networks, Inc.			The quarter ended January 26, 2013, includes a discrete charge of $78.2 million to reduce previously recognized California deferred tax assets due to changes in California law resulting from the passage of Proposition 39 during fiscal year 2013.
Goodwill, Impairment Loss												83,382,000	0	0
Quarterly Financial Information, Explanatory Note, Period			The quarter ended May 3, 2014				The quarter ended July 27, 2013			The quarter ended January 26, 2013
Quarterly Financial Information, Quarterly Charges and Credits, Amount Affecting Comparability							76,800,000
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount													$ 78,200,000

[1] The quarter ended May 3, 2014, includes the impact of an $83.4 million impairment of goodwill in the Company’s Application Delivery Products reporting unit.

[2] The quarter ended July 27, 2013, includes the impact of the nonrecurring gain of $76.8 million resulting from the litigation settlement with A10 Networks, Inc.

[3] The quarter ended January 26, 2013, includes a discrete charge of $78.2 million to reduce previously recognized California deferred tax assets due to changes in California law resulting from the passage of Proposition 39 during fiscal year 2013.