Memory architecture provides capabilities for high performance content search. Content search rules comprise of regular expressions which are compiled to finite state automata and then programmed in Programmable Intelligent Search Memory (PRISM) for evaluating content with the search rules. A compiler compiles the content search rules for evaluation by PRISM memory. The PRISM memory architecture creates an innovative memory that can be programmed with content search rules which are used by the memory to evaluate presented content for matching with the programmed rules. When the content being searched matches any of the rules programmed in the Programmable Intelligent Search Memory (PRISM) action(s) associated with the matched rule(s) are taken.