update readme

Author: utkarshsingh77

.DS_Store

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ This web application facilitates connections between restaurants looking to prom
 ## Tech Stack
 
 - **Backend**: PHP
-- **Database**: MySQL (MariaDB)
+- **Database**: MySQL (MariaDB) / AWS RDS
 - **Frontend**: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
 - **Server**: Nginx
 - **Containerization**: Docker & Docker Compose
@@ -86,6 +86,28 @@ This web application facilitates connections between restaurants looking to prom
     └── php.ini          # PHP configuration
 ```
 
+## Database Configuration
+
+The application can use either a local Docker-based MariaDB instance or AWS RDS:
+
+### Local Docker Database (Development)
+
+- Database: MariaDB
+- Host: `db` (Docker service name)
+- Username: `mktuser`
+- Password: `mkpass`
+- Database name: `marketplace`
+
+### AWS RDS (Production)
+
+- Database: MariaDB/MySQL on AWS RDS
+- Host: `ourawork.ckb40aqwiavq.us-east-1.rds.amazonaws.com` (or your RDS endpoint)
+- Username: `admin` (or your RDS username)
+- Password: Your RDS password
+- Database name: `marketplace`
+
+The database connection is configured in `html/includes/db_connect.php`. To switch between environments, update the connection parameters in this file.
+
 ## Database Schema
 
 The application uses the following database tables:
@@ -385,10 +407,25 @@ If experiencing "413 Request Entity Too Large" errors:
 If experiencing database connection problems:
 
 - Verify database credentials in db_connect.php
-- Check if the database container is running
+- Check if the database container is running (for local development)
 - Ensure the schema has been imported
 - **If you get an error about the 'role' column not accepting 'admin', see the Seeding section above for how to alter the table.**
 
+#### AWS RDS Specific Issues
+
+- Make sure your server's IP address is allowed in the RDS security group
+- Verify that the RDS instance is publicly accessible
+- Check that the required database exists on RDS:
+  ```sql
+  CREATE DATABASE marketplace;
+  ```
+- Import the schema and seed data:
+  ```sh
+  mariadb -h your-rds-endpoint.amazonaws.com -u admin -p marketplace < db/schema.sql
+  mariadb -h your-rds-endpoint.amazonaws.com -u admin -p marketplace < db/enhanced_seed.sql
+  mariadb -h your-rds-endpoint.amazonaws.com -u admin -p marketplace < db/admin_setup.sql
+  ```
+
 ### Instagram Integration Issues
 
 If experiencing Instagram connection problems: