//io.debezium.connector.postgresql.PostgresStreamingChangeEventSource#execute
// for large dbs, the refresh of schema can take too much time
// such that the connection times out. We must enable keep
// alive to ensure that it doesn't time out
ReplicationStream stream = this.replicationStream.get();
stream.startKeepAlive(Threads.newSingleThreadExecutor(PostgresConnector.class, connectorConfig.getLogicalName(), KEEP_ALIVE_THREAD_NAME));

//io.debezium.connector.postgresql.connection.ReplicationStream#startKeepAlive
public void startKeepAlive(ExecutorService service) {
    if (keepAliveExecutor == null) {
        keepAliveExecutor = service;
        keepAliveRunning = new AtomicBoolean(true);
        keepAliveExecutor.submit(() -> {
            while (keepAliveRunning.get()) {
                try {
                    LOGGER.trace("Forcing status update with replication stream");
                    stream.forceUpdateStatus();
                    metronome.pause();
                }
                catch (Exception exp) {
                    throw new RuntimeException("received unexpected exception will perform keep alive", exp);
                }
            }
        });
    }

}

public class TrySource {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        ExecutorService keepAliveExecutor = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();

        keepAliveExecutor.submit(() -> {
            throw new RuntimeException("received unexpected exception will perform keep alive");
            });

        int i = 0;
        for (;;){

        }
    }
} 

public class TrySource {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        ExecutorService keepAliveExecutor = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();

        keepAliveExecutor.execute(() -> {
            throw new RuntimeException("received unexpected exception will perform keep alive");
            });

        int i = 0;
        for (;;){

        }
    }
} 

Exception in thread "pool-1-thread-1" java.lang.RuntimeException: received unexpected exception will perform keep alive     at TrySource.lambda$main$0(TrySource.java:9)     at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149)     at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624)     at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:750)