A “backup services container” comprises “backup toolkits,” which include scripts for accessing containerized applications plus enabling utilities/environments for executing the scripts. The backup services container is added to Kubernetes pods comprising containerized applications without changing other pod containers. For maximum value and advantage, the backup services container is “over-equipped” with toolkits. The backup services container selects and applies a suitable backup toolkit to a containerized application to ready it for a pending backup. Interoperability with a proprietary data storage management system provides features that are not possible with third-party backup systems. Some embodiments include one or more components of the proprietary data storage management within the illustrative backup services container. Some embodiments include one or more components of the proprietary data storage management system in a backup services pod configured in a Kubernetes node. All configurations and embodiments are suitable for cloud and/or non-cloud computing environments.