Revenue - Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	May 02, 2020	May 04, 2019	May 02, 2020	May 04, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	$ 894,053	$ 865,011	$ 1,726,965	$ 1,643,538
Products and services at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	744,861	716,699	1,424,966	1,363,103
Services transferred over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	149,192	148,312	301,999	280,435
Converged Packet Optical
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	654,294	623,838	1,245,844	1,172,835
Packet Networking
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	64,167	73,138	131,675	144,707
Platform Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	44,985	35,229	96,873	76,827
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	15,017	12,473	30,482	27,447
Maintenance Support and Training
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	71,479	68,788	133,271	130,065
Installation and Deployment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	34,242	41,322	69,196	71,944
Consulting and Network Design
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	9,869	10,223	19,624	19,713
Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	894,053	865,011	1,726,965	1,643,538
Networking Platforms
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	718,461	696,976	1,377,518	1,317,542
Networking Platforms | Products and services at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	718,461	696,976	1,377,518	1,317,542
Networking Platforms | Services transferred over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Networking Platforms | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	718,461	696,976	1,377,519	1,317,542
Networking Platforms | Operating Segments | Converged Packet Optical
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	654,294	623,838	1,245,844	1,172,835
Networking Platforms | Operating Segments | Packet Networking
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	64,167	73,138	131,675	144,707
Networking Platforms | Operating Segments | Platform Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Networking Platforms | Operating Segments | Blue Planet Automation Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Networking Platforms | Operating Segments | Maintenance Support and Training
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Networking Platforms | Operating Segments | Installation and Deployment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Networking Platforms | Operating Segments | Consulting and Network Design
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Platform Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	44,985	35,229	96,873	76,827
Platform Software and Services | Products and services at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	16,978	11,101	30,092	27,145
Platform Software and Services | Services transferred over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	28,007	24,128	66,781	49,682
Platform Software and Services | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	44,985	35,229	96,873	76,827
Platform Software and Services | Operating Segments | Converged Packet Optical
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Platform Software and Services | Operating Segments | Packet Networking
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Platform Software and Services | Operating Segments | Platform Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	44,985	35,229	96,873	76,827
Platform Software and Services | Operating Segments | Blue Planet Automation Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Platform Software and Services | Operating Segments | Maintenance Support and Training
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Platform Software and Services | Operating Segments | Installation and Deployment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Platform Software and Services | Operating Segments | Consulting and Network Design
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	15,017	12,473	30,483	27,447
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Products and services at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	4,745	3,047	8,482	9,275
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Services transferred over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	10,272	9,426	22,001	18,172
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	15,017	12,473	30,482	27,447
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Operating Segments | Converged Packet Optical
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Operating Segments | Packet Networking
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Operating Segments | Platform Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Operating Segments | Blue Planet Automation Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	15,017	12,473	30,482	27,447
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Operating Segments | Maintenance Support and Training
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Operating Segments | Installation and Deployment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Blue Planet Automation Software and Services | Operating Segments | Consulting and Network Design
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Global Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	115,590	120,333	222,091	221,722
Global Services | Products and services at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	4,677	5,575	8,874	9,141
Global Services | Services transferred over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	110,913	114,758	213,217	212,581
Global Services | Operating Segments
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	115,590	120,333	222,091	221,722
Global Services | Operating Segments | Converged Packet Optical
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Global Services | Operating Segments | Packet Networking
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Global Services | Operating Segments | Platform Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Global Services | Operating Segments | Blue Planet Automation Software and Services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	0	0	0	0
Global Services | Operating Segments | Maintenance Support and Training
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	71,479	68,788	133,271	130,065
Global Services | Operating Segments | Installation and Deployment
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	34,242	41,322	69,196	71,944
Global Services | Operating Segments | Consulting and Network Design
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	$ 9,869	$ 10,223	$ 19,624	$ 19,713