azure mobile services - What is a good way to insert an entity with dependencies using TableController? -

i struggling insert new entity references other existing entities using table controller in azure mobile services.

this set up:

entities:

public class entityb : entitydata {    public entitya parent { get; set; }    //some data }  public class entitya : entitydata {    //some data } 

dtos:

public class dtoentityb : entitydata {    public dtoentitya parent { get; set; }    //some data }  public class dtoentitya : entitydata {    //some data } 

controller:

public class controller : tablecontroller<dtoentityb> {    public virtual async task<dtoentityb> post(dtoentityb entity)    {       return await insertasync(entity);    }     } 

mapper:

automapper.mapper.initialize(cfg => {    // use other mapper    cfg.createmap<dtoentityb, entityb>();    cfg.createmap<entityb, dtoentityb>();     cfg.createmap<dtoentitya, entitya>();    cfg.createmap<entitya, dtoentitya>(); } 

entitya exists already, make client call results in json sent post method. works fine until ef tells me there entitya id = 317238621736.

{    "entitya" : {     "id" : "317238621736"} } 

i looking generic solution problem (right direct operations on context (attach) every existing reference, combing mapper makes approach unsustainable.