1. A content search system for determining whether an input string matches one or more of a number of patterns, the content search system comprising: a shared memory device for storing a plurality of state entries of a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) embodying the number of patterns; input distribution logic having an input to receive the input string and configured to divide the input string into a plurality of string segments, wherein adjacent pairs of string segments of the plurality of string segments share a common overlap region having a predetermined number of characters equal to a number of characters in a longest one of the number of patterns, wherein the common overlap region is at an end of a first string segment and a beginning of a second string segment; and a plurality of DFA engines, each having a first input to receive the plurality of state entries from the shared memory device, having a second input to receive a corresponding one of the string segments of the plurality of string segments, and configured to compare characters of its corresponding input string segment with the number of patterns in parallel with other DFA engines of the plurality of DFA engines.