diff --git a/tests/README.md b/tests/README.md
index 6c64dae8190..29075d492e2 100644
--- a/tests/README.md
+++ b/tests/README.md
@@ -2,15 +2,37 @@
 
 For running intergration test cases (defined in `./fullstack-test`, `./fullstack-test-dt`, `./new_collation_fullstack`), you should define a TiDB cluster with TiFlash node (1 PD, 1 TiKV, 1 TiDB, 1 TiFlash at least).
 
-1. Deploy a cluster using [tiup](https://tiup.io/)
-2. Use `ti.sh x.ti prop` to ensure the ports of your cluster
-3. Change the "storage_port", "tidb_port" in `./env.sh` to let it connect to your cluster
-4. Run tests with `./run-test.sh fullstack-test/ddl`
+1. Install [tiup](https://tiup.io/)
+2. Use `tiup playground` (recommanded) or `tiup cluster` to start a tidb cluster
+
+```bash
+export TIDB_PORT=4000
+export TIFLASH_PORT=9000
+
+# Prepare a config file with `tcp_port` enabled
+cat << EOF > tiflash.toml
+tcp_port = ${TIFLASH_PORT}
+# If you're deploying a testing cluster where the disk is not exclusively dedicated to TiFlash,
+# it is necessary to set "capacity". Otherwise, PD will not add peers to TiFlash, making the
+# tiflash replica can not be available.
+capacity = 1000000000
+
+[logger]
+level = "debug"
+EOF
+
+# Start a tidb cluster with tiup playground
+tiup playground nightly --tiflash 1 --tiflash.binpath /path/to/build/tiflash --db.port ${TIDB_PORT} --tiflash.config ./tiflash.toml
+
+# Run tests with `./run-test.sh`, for example
+tidb_port=${TIDB_PORT} storage_port=${TIFLASH_PORT} verbose=true ./run-test.sh fullstack-test/ddl
+```
 
 ## How to run test cases in `delta-merge-test`
 
 For running mock test cases (defined in `./delta-merge-test`), you should start a standalone tiflash that is not connected to tidb cluster
-```
+
+```bash
 export TIFLASH_PORT=9000
 ./tiflash server -- --path /tmp/tiflash/data --tcp_port ${TIFLASH_PORT}
 storage_port=${TIFLASH_PORT} verbose=true ./run-test.sh delta-merge-test
diff --git a/tests/_env.sh b/tests/_env.sh
index 8b47cdadff0..dc102a376ec 100644
--- a/tests/_env.sh
+++ b/tests/_env.sh
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ if [ -z ${storage_bin+x} ]; then
 fi
 
 # Server address for connecting
-export storage_server="127.0.0.1"
+export storage_server=${storage_server:-"127.0.0.1"}
 
 # Server port for connecting
 export storage_port=${storage_port:-9000}
@@ -39,13 +39,13 @@ export storage_port=${storage_port:-9000}
 export storage_db="system"
 
 # TiDB address
-export tidb_server="127.0.0.1"
+export tidb_server=${tidb_server:-"127.0.0.1"}
 
 # TiDB port
-export tidb_port="4000"
+export tidb_port=${tidb_port:-"4000"}
 
 # TiDB status port
-export tidb_status_port="10080"
+export tidb_status_port=${tidb_status_port:-"10080"}
 
 # TiDB default database
 export tidb_db="test"
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ export tidb_db="test"
 export tidb_table="t"
 
 # Whether run scripts with verbose output
+# "true" or "false"
 export verbose=${verbose:-"false"}
-# export verbose="true"
 
 export LANG=en_US.utf-8
 export LC_ALL=en_US.utf-8
diff --git a/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt.toml b/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt.toml
index 8a7d68b5b0d..085dae0bb17 100644
--- a/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt.toml
+++ b/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt.toml
@@ -17,15 +17,11 @@ tmp_path = "/tmp/tiflash/data/tmp"
 path = "/tmp/tiflash/data/db"
 capacity = "10737418240"
 
-mark_cache_size = 1073741824
-minmax_index_cache_size = 1073741824
 tcp_port = 9000
 http_port = 8123
 
 [flash]
 service_addr = "0.0.0.0:3930"
-[flash.flash_cluster]
-update_rule_interval = 5
 [flash.proxy]
 addr = "0.0.0.0:20170"
 advertise-addr = "tiflash0:20170"
diff --git a/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_disable_local_tunnel.toml b/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_disable_local_tunnel.toml
index a1c85ced933..77775df344b 100644
--- a/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_disable_local_tunnel.toml
+++ b/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_disable_local_tunnel.toml
@@ -17,16 +17,12 @@ tmp_path = "/tmp/tiflash/data/tmp"
 path = "/tmp/tiflash/data/db"
 capacity = "10737418240"
 
-mark_cache_size = 1073741824
-minmax_index_cache_size = 1073741824
 tcp_port = 9000
 http_port = 8123
 
 [flash]
 tidb_status_addr = "tidb0:10080"
 service_addr = "0.0.0.0:3930"
-[flash.flash_cluster]
-update_rule_interval = 5
 [flash.proxy]
 addr = "0.0.0.0:20170"
 advertise-addr = "tiflash0:20170"
diff --git a/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_force_enable_lm.toml b/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_force_enable_lm.toml
index 0c40d279d7c..20a6b522e04 100644
--- a/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_force_enable_lm.toml
+++ b/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_force_enable_lm.toml
@@ -17,16 +17,12 @@ tmp_path = "/tmp/tiflash/data/tmp"
 path = "/tmp/tiflash/data/db"
 capacity = "10737418240"
 
-mark_cache_size = 5368709120
-minmax_index_cache_size = 5368709120
 tcp_port = 9000
 http_port = 8123
 
 [flash]
 tidb_status_addr = "tidb0:10080"
 service_addr = "0.0.0.0:3930"
-[flash.flash_cluster]
-update_rule_interval = 5
 [flash.proxy]
 addr = "0.0.0.0:20170"
 advertise-addr = "tiflash0:20170"
diff --git a/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_sync_grpc.toml b/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_sync_grpc.toml
index a1c85ced933..77775df344b 100644
--- a/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_sync_grpc.toml
+++ b/tests/docker/config/tiflash_dt_sync_grpc.toml
@@ -17,16 +17,12 @@ tmp_path = "/tmp/tiflash/data/tmp"
 path = "/tmp/tiflash/data/db"
 capacity = "10737418240"
 
-mark_cache_size = 1073741824
-minmax_index_cache_size = 1073741824
 tcp_port = 9000
 http_port = 8123
 
 [flash]
 tidb_status_addr = "tidb0:10080"
 service_addr = "0.0.0.0:3930"
-[flash.flash_cluster]
-update_rule_interval = 5
 [flash.proxy]
 addr = "0.0.0.0:20170"
 advertise-addr = "tiflash0:20170"