1. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to instantiate and/or operate the following: a user interface component for presenting multiple parent user interface elements having a corresponding hierarchy of contained user interface elements, the multiple parent user interface elements including at least 1) a first parent user interface element having a first hierarchy of contained user interface elements, and 2) a second parent user interface element having a second hierarchy of contained user interface elements, wherein the user may navigate, directly or indirectly, to the second parent user interface element by interfacing with the first parent user interface element; and a hierarchical storage agent that provides state to a remote storage using an application program interface, the provided state including a state of each of at least some of the multiple parent user interface elements, including the first and second parent user interface elements, the provided state provided in a manner that preserves in the remote storage at least some of the corresponding hierarchy, the application program interface also allowing retrieval of only hierarchically described portions of the remotely saved state of the first and second parent user interface element.