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Significant Accounting Policies (Details)
3 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015
Jan. 31, 2014
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]    
Expected economic lives of finite-lived intangible assets, maximum (in years) 7 years  
Expected number of years Spares usage cost is expensed (in years) 4 years  
Percentage Of Revenue Recognized Using Percent-Of-Completion Method 1.00%cien_PercentageOfRevenueRecognizedUsingPercentOfCompletionMethod 5.10%cien_PercentageOfRevenueRecognizedUsingPercentOfCompletionMethod
One-time employee termination benefits related service period (more than 60 days) 60 days  
4.0% Convertible Senior Notes due March 15, 2015    
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]    
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage 4.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= cien_FourPercentConvertibleSeniorNotesDue2015Member
 
Maximum    
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]    
Measurement period for marketable debt securities (in years) 1 year  
Derivative maturity (in months) 12 months  
Maximum | Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures    
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]    
Estimated useful lives capitalized and amortized straight-line (in years) 5 years  
Maximum | Software and Website Development    
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]    
Estimated useful lives capitalized and amortized straight-line (in years) 5 years  
Minimum | Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures    
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]    
Estimated useful lives capitalized and amortized straight-line (in years) 2 years  
Minimum | Software and Website Development    
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]    
Estimated useful lives capitalized and amortized straight-line (in years) 2 years