diff --git a/StateManager.py b/StateManager.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/StateManager.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+''' Database of NodeInstances, part of the Core '''
+
+# this will be hard to write until NodeInstances are written, but I'll try
+# anyway
+
+__version__ = "$Id: StateManager.py,v 1.1 2002/07/04 00:21:35 drewp Exp $"
+
+class StateManager:
+    '''StateManager is the second of the core to be built.  It should be 
+       after the network, then the scheduler.
+
+       After StateManager is constructed, you probably want to do load_state().
+       All of the above is taken care of by the Core module.
+       
+       Also, in general, 'name' indicates the name of a node, in NRL
+       (like URL) syntax:
+       node:group/innergroup/node
+
+       or
+
+       node:node
+
+       if node is in the top level group (the root, or universe, or whatever
+        you want to call it
+    '''
+    def __init__(self, network):
+        '''Sets up some dicts, maybe'''
+        # need some storage locations, etc.
+        self.network = network
+    def save_state(self):
+        '''Save state to disk'''
+        pass
+    def load_state(self):
+        '''Load state from disk'''
+        pass
+    def get_input_names(self, name):
+        '''Get the names of the nodes which are inputs to a node'''
+        pass
+    def get_output_names(self, name):
+        '''Get the names of the nodes which are outputs to a node'''
+        pass