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Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
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 TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB
MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
 O6JEnwobC1AXFEcktHeNqss1pq59/OLDu76Obahx08KnF4fO7Qoro5SRkNUHzgsa
 mpZCjC3/wv+RK+SJigw5Jg==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001209191-03-017913.txt : 20030819
<SEC-HEADER>0001209191-03-017913.hdr.sgml : 20030819
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20030819191512
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001209191-03-017913
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20030815
FILED AS OF DATE:		20030819

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			BROCADE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001009626
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT [3576]
		IRS NUMBER:				770409517
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1028

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1745 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE
		CITY:			SAN JOSE
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			95110

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1745 TECHNOLOGY DRIVE
		CITY:			SAN JOSE
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			95110

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			CANOVA ANTONIO
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001189220

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	000-25601
		FILM NUMBER:		03856842

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1745 TECHNOLOGY DR
		CITY:			SAN JOSE
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			95110
		BUSINESS PHONE:		4084878184

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1745 TECHNOLOGY DR
		CITY:			SAN JOSE
		STATE:			CA
		ZIP:			95110
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>bpa92594_bpa4ac.xml
<DESCRIPTION>MAIN DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?><ownershipDocument><schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-08-15</periodOfReport><notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16><issuer><issuerCik>0001009626</issuerCik><issuerName>BROCADE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS INC</issuerName>        <issuerTradingSymbol>BRCD</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId><rptOwnerCik>0001189220</rptOwnerCik><rptOwnerName>CANOVA ANTONIO</rptOwnerName></reportingOwnerId><reportingOwnerAddress><rptOwnerStreet1></rptOwnerStreet1><rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2><rptOwnerCity>SAN JOSE</rptOwnerCity><rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState><rptOwnerZipCode>95110</rptOwnerZipCode><rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription></reportingOwnerAddress><reportingOwnerRelationship><isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>VP, Finance &amp; CFO</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivat
iveTable><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value><footnoteId id="F1" /></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>2368</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><derivativeTable><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value><footnoteId id="F2" /></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>6.54</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-07-10</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-07-10</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>2922</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>2922</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransac
tion></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value><footnoteId id="F3" /></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>6.54</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-07-10</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-07-10</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>177078</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>177078</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value><footno
teId id="F4" /></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>6.54</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-07-10</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-07-10</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>1538</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1538</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value><footnoteId id="F5" /></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>6.54</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-07-10</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-07-10</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityT
itle><value>Connon Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>104475</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>104475</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value><footnoteId id="F6" /></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>6.54</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-07-10</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-07-10</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Connon Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>130000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>130000</value></sharesOwnedFollowing
Transaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value><footnoteId id="F7" /></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>6.54</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-07-10</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-07-10</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>57261</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>57261</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value><f
ootnoteId id="F8" /></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>6.54</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-07-10</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-07-10</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>71875</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>71875</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Non-qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>5.53</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-08-15</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equ
itySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>150000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>0.00</value><footnoteId id="F9" /></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2003-09-15</value><footnoteId id="F10" /></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2010-08-15</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>150000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>150000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Beneficial holding disclosure only.</footnote
><footnote id="F2">Beneficial holding disclosure only.  1,887 options vest on July 10, 2003; 1,035 options vest monthly from July 13, 2003 through November 13, 2004.</footnote><footnote id="F3">Beneficial holding disclosure only.  114,363 options vest on July 10, 2003; 62,715 options vest monthly from July 13, 2003 through November 13, 2004.</footnote><footnote id="F4">Beneficial holding disclosure only.  839 options vest on July 10, 2003; 699 options vest monthly from July 13, 2003 through November 13, 2004.</footnote><footnote id="F5">Beneficial holding disclosure only.  62,187 options vest on July 10, 2003;  42,288 options vest monthly from July 13, 2003 through November 13, 2004.</footnote><footnote id="F6">Beneficial holding disclosure only.  21,666 options vest on July 10, 2003; 13,334 options vest monthly from August 1, 2003 through November 1, 2004; 95,000 options vest monthly from November 1, 2004 through November 1, 2005.</footnote><footnote id="F7">Beneficial holding disclosure only.  23,652 optio
ns vest on July 10, 2003; 33,609 options vest monthly from August 1, 2003 through October 1, 2005.</footnote><footnote id="F8">Beneficial holding disclosure only.  29,687 options vest on July 10, 2003; 42,188 options vest monthly from August 1, 2003 through October 1, 2005.</footnote><footnote id="F9">The price of the deritive security will be determined at a future date upon exercise of the option.</footnote><footnote id="F10">Options vest monthly from September 15, 2003 through August 15, 2007.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>/s/ Antonio Canova</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-08-19</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

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</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
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