Powerpivot: create a data model from a DAX query

Question

Is it possible to create a data model (on which I can run a DAX query) from the output of a DAX query? (both tables being autoupdated from a db backend, not static - so no copy paste or convert to excel table)?

My requirement is this: I have a table, say Orders, and I need to calculate the percentile of sales from a particular region. For this, my approach would be -

First calculate a table with the =SUMMARIZE function, creating a table grouped by regions, and then implementing the percentile algorithm on it (by ranking it and putting it into percentile buckets - there are some articles on the net on how to do that, since DAX doesnt have a percentile function). For this to happen, I need to create the intermediate live table from the SUMMARIZE function and put it an excel sheet. Then I need to run the rank function on the new table (assuming it can be done).

Is this possible?

Answer 1

So, I found a workaround for this: http://www.powerpivotblog.nl/implementing-histograms-in-excel-2013-using-dax-query-tables-and-powerpivot/

Thanks to Kasper.

So in summary, we create an Excel table, driven by a DAX query, so that I can use the percentile function in Excel.

This is a good generic method to use live tables in Excel.

Answer 2

sargeMonkey, what about "good old" Show Values As option available in both regular and power pivot tables:

Wouldn't that be the quickest solution?