There are other methods to have the client look to the license server if you do not wish to use the License Administrator (File->Change License Server).

1. The client hserver program.
2. A hidden file.
3. Windows registry entry.
4. Using a DNS service record.

Hserver

The hserver program is a proxy for the sesinetd server which runs on the client computer. The hserver program is automatically started and used by Houdini on the client machine.

If you have setup the Houdini environment, you can tell hserver to look to the remote server:

hserver -S hostname

where hostname is the name of your license server.

On Windows, the hserver (HoudiniServer) program is usually installed as a service. As of Houdini 18.5.500, hserver can be run as a non-service application similar to hserver on Linux/OSX. Please refer to the online hserver docs for more information.

Hidden File

There is also a hidden file called .sesi_licenses.pref with the line:

serverhost=hostname

where the hostname will be the name of your license server.
On Linux and OSX, this hidden file will be in the user home directory.
On Windows, this file will be in C:\Users\username\AppData\Local. The username will be the username of the machine.

Please refer to the online hserver docs for more information.

Windows Registry

reg add "hklm\software\Side Effects Software\Houdini" /v ~LicenseServer /t reg_sz /d your-license-server-name /f

DNS record

_sesi-lm._tcp   IN      SRV     0 0 1715 your-license-server-name.yourdomain.com.