## Overview and Prerequisites

This lab demonstrates how to migrate a Laravel application from Aurora (MySQL) to TiDB Cloud.

In this lab, we provide a simple book store application. The application runs on Aurora (MySQL) at the beginning. Follow the steps to migrate the database from Aurora (MySQL) to TiDB Cloud.

We also demonstrate the online schema change capability of TiDB Cloud.

<!-- markdownlint-disable MD032 -->
> [!IMPORTANT]
> - This lab only supports Chrome browser.
> - This lab is based on Aurora (MySQL) and TiDB Cloud Starter cluster.

In this lab, you'll use a free TiDB Cloud Starter cluster, which is designed for lightweight testing and validation, to learn both fundamental and advanced TiDB Cloud operations.

### Tasks

- Migrate your Laravel-based application from a Aurora (MySQL) database to TiDB Cloud.
- Understand TiDB's MySQL compatibility.
- Practice TiDB's Online schema change feature.

### Start the Lab

- If the **`Redeem`** button appears in the left navigation pane, please click it to redeem this lab using your lab credits before proceeding. Alternatively, you can use the lab code provided by your instructor in the top-right profile menu to redeem the lab.
- In the left navigation pane, click the **`Region`** dropdown and choose your preferred cloud provider and region for the lab. Follow your instructor's guidance if required.
- Click **`Authorize`** to select a personal TiDB Cloud organization and project for this hands-on lab. Do NOT choose a production environment.
- In the **`Select Starter Cluster`** section, you can either create a new cluster by selecting **`Create New Cluster`**, or choose an existing non-production cluster marked with a green thumb icon (which indicates that the cluster is in the same region as the one you selected for this lab). For example:

  ![select-starter-cluster.jpg 40%](https://lab-static.pingcap.com/images/2025/11/18/595576a52cdeceea38b55b23a93a901c11e8cc20.jpg)

- Click **`Start`** to launch the lab environment.
  - TiDB Labs will assign you an Ubuntu virtual machine in your selected region, from which you can access the TiDB Cloud Starter cluster.
  - If you chose **`Create New Cluster`**, a new free TiDB Cloud Starter cluster will be created under your own TiDB Cloud account.
  - Once the environment is ready, you can click **`Next`** on the bottom to follow the lab guide step-by-step to complete the practice.