<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2006-07-12</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001100813</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>OPSWARE INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>OPSW</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001368886</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CONTE DAVID F</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O OPSWARE INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>599 N. MATHILDA AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SUNNYVALE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94085</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Chief Financial Officer</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>74712</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>5.3125</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2002-03-28</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2011-03-27</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>1330</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>8.00</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2002-02-09</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2011-02-08</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>7944</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>2.55</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2001-07-13</value>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2011-06-12</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>10000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>1.46</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2002-09-19</value>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2011-09-18</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>10000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>3.68</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2002-01-04</value>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2011-12-03</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>20000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>3.68</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2002-01-04</value>
                <footnoteId id="F6"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2011-02-03</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>750</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>.62</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2002-11-14</value>
                <footnoteId id="F7"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2012-10-13</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>37730</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>2.45</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2003-05-08</value>
                <footnoteId id="F8"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2013-04-07</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>10000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>.47</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2002-11-04</value>
                <footnoteId id="F9"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2012-10-03</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>37270</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>7.79</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2004-02-29</value>
                <footnoteId id="F10"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2014-01-28</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>25000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>5.00</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2004-09-12</value>
                <footnoteId id="F11"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2014-08-11</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>25000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>5.13</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2005-04-14</value>
                <footnoteId id="F12"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2015-03-13</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>12500</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>5.16</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2005-04-30</value>
                <footnoteId id="F13"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2015-03-30</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>12500</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee stock option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>7.93</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2006-04-15</value>
                <footnoteId id="F14"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2016-03-14</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>50000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">One-fourth of the shares subject to the option were exercisable on March 28, 2002; one forty-eighth of the shares were exercisable monthly thereafter for a total vesting period of four years.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">One-fourth of the shares subject to the option were exercisable on February 9, 2002; one forty-eighth of the shares were  exercisable monthly thereafter for a total vesting period of four years.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning July 13, 2001.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">One-half of the shares subject to the option were exercisable on September 19, 2002; one twenty-fourth of the shares were  exercisable monthly thereafter for a total  vesting period of two years.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning January 4, 2002.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 24 equal monthly installments beginning January 4, 2002.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning November 14, 2002.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F8">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning May 8, 2003.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F9">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning November 4, 2002.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F10">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning February 29, 2005.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F11">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning September 12, 2004.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F12">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning April 14, 2005.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F13">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning April 30, 2005.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F14">Employee stock option vests and is exercisable in 48 equal monthly installments beginning April 15, 2006.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ David F. Conte</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2006-07-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
