Guarantor And Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries (Schedule Of Consolidated Statement Of Operations) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Oct. 29, 2011	Jul. 30, 2011	Apr. 30, 2011	Jan. 29, 2011	Oct. 30, 2010	Jul. 31, 2010	May 01, 2010	Jan. 30, 2010	Oct. 29, 2011		Oct. 30, 2010		Oct. 31, 2009
Revenues									$ 2,147,442,000		$ 2,091,153,000		$ 1,950,376,000
Total net revenues	550,472,000	502,850,000	548,364,000	545,756,000	548,629,000	504,252,000	500,613,000	537,659,000	2,147,442,000		2,091,153,000		1,950,376,000
Cost of revenues									863,908,000		860,033,000		919,426,000
Total cost of revenues									863,908,000	[1]	860,033,000	[1]	919,426,000	[1]
Gross margin (loss)	327,515,000	306,527,000	328,609,000	320,883,000	323,274,000	285,421,000	295,120,000	327,305,000	1,283,534,000		1,231,120,000		1,030,950,000
Operating expenses									1,106,014,000		1,023,289,000		1,005,247,000
Total operating expenses									1,106,014,000		1,023,289,000		1,005,247,000
Income (loss) from operations	54,697,000	34,222,000	46,197,000	42,404,000	54,033,000	31,088,000	41,343,000	81,367,000	177,520,000		207,831,000		25,703,000
Other income (expense)									(98,092,000)		(100,861,000)		(102,278,000)
Total other income (expense)													(102,278,000)
Income (loss) before income tax provision (benefit)									79,428,000	[2]	106,970,000		(76,575,000)
Income tax provision (benefit)									28,818,000		(9,553,000)		6,614,000
Net income (loss)	(4,324,000)	1,937,000	26,079,000	26,918,000	22,227,000	22,530,000	22,095,000	49,671,000	50,610,000		116,523,000		(83,189,000)	[3]
Re-allocation of prior period system engineer costs between parent company and foreign non-guarantor subsidiaries											46,900,000
Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. [Member]
Revenues									1,285,732,000		1,287,646,000		1,030,016,000
Intercompany revenues									88,063,000		102,178,000		51,791,000
Total net revenues									1,373,795,000		1,389,824,000		1,081,807,000
Cost of revenues									531,162,000		529,641,000		494,760,000
Intercompany cost of revenues									(2,263,000)		40,588,000		(8,483,000)
Total cost of revenues									528,899,000		570,229,000		486,277,000
Gross margin (loss)									844,896,000		819,595,000		595,530,000
Operating expenses									821,018,000		783,968,000		798,249,000
Intercompany operating expenses									(138,789,000)		(167,746,000)		(110,688,000)
Total operating expenses									682,229,000		616,222,000		687,561,000
Income (loss) from operations									162,667,000		203,373,000		(92,031,000)
Other income (expense)									109,902,000		(80,276,000)		(88,035,000)
Intercompany other income (expense)													(24,000)
Total other income (expense)													(88,059,000)
Income (loss) before income tax provision (benefit)									272,569,000		123,097,000		(180,090,000)
Income tax provision (benefit)									36,164,000		(53,938,000)		(6,004,000)
Net income (loss)									236,405,000		177,035,000		(174,086,000)
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Revenues									27,569,000		50,731,000		299,964,000
Intercompany revenues									1,753,000		13,954,000		11,022,000
Total net revenues									29,322,000		64,685,000		310,986,000
Cost of revenues									85,540,000		112,477,000		216,023,000
Total cost of revenues									85,540,000		112,477,000		216,023,000
Gross margin (loss)									(56,218,000)		(47,792,000)		94,963,000
Operating expenses									76,645,000		63,855,000		102,574,000
Intercompany operating expenses									(25,694,000)		(30,349,000)		(93,272,000)
Total operating expenses									50,951,000		33,506,000		9,302,000
Income (loss) from operations									(107,169,000)		(81,298,000)		85,661,000
Other income (expense)									(7,518,000)		(1,628,000)		(27,998,000)
Intercompany other income (expense)													(16,729,000)
Total other income (expense)													(44,727,000)
Income (loss) before income tax provision (benefit)									(114,687,000)		(82,926,000)		40,934,000
Income tax provision (benefit)									(15,216,000)		36,336,000		1,365,000
Net income (loss)									(99,471,000)		(119,262,000)		39,569,000
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues									834,141,000		752,776,000		620,396,000
Intercompany revenues									35,980,000		25,464,000		32,150,000
Total net revenues									870,121,000		778,240,000		652,546,000
Cost of revenues									233,448,000		214,024,000		190,453,000
Intercompany cost of revenues									128,059,000		101,008,000		103,446,000
Total cost of revenues									361,507,000		315,032,000		293,899,000
Gross margin (loss)									508,614,000		463,208,000		358,647,000
Operating expenses									222,109,000		179,357,000		122,614,000
Intercompany operating expenses									164,483,000		198,095,000		203,960,000
Total operating expenses									386,592,000		377,452,000		326,574,000
Income (loss) from operations									122,022,000		85,756,000		32,073,000
Other income (expense)									(200,476,000)		(14,801,000)		13,755,000
Intercompany other income (expense)													16,753,000
Total other income (expense)													30,508,000
Income (loss) before income tax provision (benefit)									(78,454,000)		70,955,000		62,581,000
Income tax provision (benefit)									7,870,000		8,049,000		11,253,000
Net income (loss)									(86,324,000)		62,906,000		51,328,000
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Intercompany revenues									(125,796,000)		(141,596,000)		(94,963,000)
Total net revenues									(125,796,000)		(141,596,000)		(94,963,000)
Cost of revenues									13,758,000		3,891,000		18,190,000
Intercompany cost of revenues									(125,796,000)		(141,596,000)		(94,963,000)
Total cost of revenues									(112,038,000)		(137,705,000)		(76,773,000)
Gross margin (loss)									(13,758,000)		(3,891,000)		(18,190,000)
Operating expenses									(13,758,000)		(3,891,000)		(18,190,000)
Total operating expenses									(13,758,000)		(3,891,000)		(18,190,000)
Other income (expense)											(4,156,000)
Income (loss) before income tax provision (benefit)											(4,156,000)
Net income (loss)											$ (4,156,000)

[1] Fiscal years 2011 and 2010 reflect the classification of system engineer costs within sales and marketing expenses as opposed to cost of revenues in prior periods. Fiscal year 2009 has not been updated for the new cost classification implemented in 2010. See Note 1, "Basis of Presentation," of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

[2] Excludes the impact of repatriation of $200 million from offshore operations to the United States.

[3] As the Company was in a net loss position for the year ended October 31, 2009, there was no dilutive impact of potential common shares associated with stock options and other share based awards, by application of the treasury stock method.