Quarterly Summary (Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended									12 Months Ended
	Oct. 29, 2016		Jul. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2016	Jan. 30, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Aug. 01, 2015	May 02, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015	Oct. 29, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Nov. 01, 2014
Selected Quarterly Financial Information
Net revenues	$ 657,299		$ 590,721	$ 523,306	$ 574,284	$ 588,827	$ 551,819	$ 546,575	$ 576,239	$ 2,345,610	$ 2,263,460	$ 2,211,267
Gross margin	420,314		356,899	350,311	388,815	394,277	371,904	372,209	389,683	1,516,339	1,528,073	1,465,793
Income from operations (1)	82,868	[1]	20,594	82,665	120,966	119,221	119,849	114,205	139,405	307,093	492,680	386,112
Net income	$ 66,701		$ 10,495	$ 43,085	$ 93,646	$ 84,388	$ 91,667	$ 77,040	$ 87,267	$ 213,927	$ 340,362	$ 237,971
Net income (loss) per-share—basic	$ 0.17		$ 0.02	$ 0.11	$ 0.23	$ 0.20	$ 0.22	$ 0.18	$ 0.20	$ 0.52	$ 0.81	$ 0.55
Net income (loss) per-share—diluted	$ 0.16		$ 0.02	$ 0.11	$ 0.23	$ 0.20	$ 0.21	$ 0.18	$ 0.20	$ 0.51	$ 0.79	$ 0.53
Shares used in per share calculation—basic	401,103		426,671	400,554	407,902	414,769	417,299	420,718	428,536	409,058	420,331	435,258
Shares used in per share calculation—diluted	410,123		434,416	408,748	415,085	422,315	427,518	433,234	439,156	417,093	430,556	446,859
Brocade Price Per Share High	$ 10.49		$ 9.84	$ 10.70	$ 10.92	$ 11.28	$ 12.88	$ 12.96	$ 12.43
Brocade Price Per Share Low	$ 8.64		$ 7.60	$ 7.58	$ 7.40	$ 9.72	$ 9.67	$ 10.85	$ 10.66

[1] Beginning in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended October 29, 2016, revenue from sales to distributor customers is recognized upon shipment to the distributor (sell-in) and is reduced by allowances for rebates, sales program incentives, and stock rotations, which are all estimated by a process using both historical experience and expectations of future outcomes based on facts and circumstances available contemporaneously at the date of estimation. See Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.