1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, by a forwarder, a Manifest for a data collection, wherein the Manifest includes a name associated with the collection, and includes a list of references to one or more Content Objects that make up the data collection; creating, by the forwarder, an entry for the Manifest in a Manifest table which stores a Manifest state for a set of pending Manifests; allocating, by the forwarder prior to receiving an Interest from a device requesting the one or more Content Objects that make up the data collection, a resource for processing the Manifest; and responsive to the forwarder receiving the Interest from the device, forwarding by the forwarder, the Manifest to the device.