1. A computer system for forwarding packets, the system comprising: a processor; and a storage device storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving, by a first communication component from a coordinating entity, a command message to store a current state of the first communication component wherein the first communication component is used in processing messages based on a name, and wherein a name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier (HSVLI) which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level, wherein the first communication component is a component of a stack of communication modules; determining a current state for the first communication component; when the current state of the first communication component depends on a current operational state of a second communication component of the stack of communication modules, waiting, at the first communication component, for an indicator of a ready state from the second communication component; storing the current state for the first communication component in a data structure, and transmitting the data structure to the coordinating entity for transferring the data structure to another location.