Any way to automate tasks via alerts?

Could you just include the logic to restart the service in the existing datasource?

I've done something similar with a datasource collection. Checks to see if the service is running,  tracks restarts, checks to see how long the service is up (didn't want to issue a restart if the service is starting due to a reboot), etc.  

Regarding your direct question, I think you could automate it with Alert rules and Integrations (custom email delivery or custom HTTP delivery). 

I'm sure others will have stronger suggestions.