JDBC SQL Server Connection drops out

I have a set of scripts that I use to bulk load a demonstration system.  It connects to a SQL Server database, and retrieves a recordset that it then processes through in a loop.  Full processing can be over a number of hours.  However, I often find that the loop crashes because of a lost SQL connection.

I have two questions as a result:

1.  How can I keep the SQL connection open, so that the Data Loop does not fail?

2.  If #1 is not possible, are there any suggestions as to how I might loop back to restart the SQL Connection?

Many thanks for your considerations ...