1. A multicomputer system capable of distributed STREAMS operation, the system comprising: a cluster of two or more nodes connected via a data communications interconnect subsystem, each node including a computer having one or more system processor units, local memory, and input/output subsystem; an operating system running on each of the system processor units in the cluster, the operating system including a STREAMS message-passing mechanism for use in implementing one or more of networking protocols, client/server applications and services; a software application operative on the system processor unit of at least one node under control of the operating system to perform a task or solve a problem; means for creating a distributed STREAMS instance on a first of said nodes (initiating node) which is independent of the application and the message-passing mechanism; and means for migrating at least a portion of the distributed STREAMS instance to a second of said nodes (target node) for execution of a selected task of the software application on the second node transparently with respect to the networking protocols, client/server applications and services on the first node.