Restart a service by name. Equivalent to stop + start. Useful after configuration changes that require a service reload.
AI agents invoke service_restart to trigger actions in Truenas. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
Service restart is an Execute-category action because it runs an external operation (service lifecycle management) with effects that depend on runtime arguments. While not destructive (it's reversible), it can impact system availability and dependent applications.
From the tool's definition Tool performs service restart operations ('Restart a service by name. Equivalent to stop + start'). This is an external operation that triggers state changes in running services whose effects depend on which service is specified.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access service_restart gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Truenas, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for service_restart:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"service_restart": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "service_restart_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 10,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}service_restart stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Restart a service by name. Equivalent to stop + start. Useful after configuration changes that require a service reload. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Truenas MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
Register the Truenas MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for service_restart: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Truenas. Nothing to install.
service_restart is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the service_restart rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for service_restart. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
service_restart is provided by the Truenas MCP server (spranab/truenas-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Truenas, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
279 Truenas tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.